Patched genes and uses related thereto

ABSTRACT

Methods for isolating patched genes, particularly mammalian patched genes, including the mouse and human patched genes, as well as invertebrate patched genes and sequences, are provided. Decreased expression of patched is associated with the occurrence of human cancers, particularly basal cell carcinomas of the skin. The cancers may be familial, having as a component of risk an inherited genetic predisposition, or may be sporadic. The patched and hedgehog genes are useful in creating transgenic animal models for these human cancers. The patched nucleic acid compositions find use in identifying homologous or related proteins and the DNA sequences encoding such proteins; in producing compositions that modulate the expression or function of the protein; and in studying associated 15 physiological pathways. In addition, modulation of the gene activity in vivo is used for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes, such as treatment of cancer, identification of cell type based on expression, and the like. The DNA is further used as a diagnostic for a genetic predisposition to cancer, and to identify specific cancers having mutations in this gene.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08/656,055, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08/540,406, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08/317,745 (now abandoned). The specifications of each of these prior applications are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Segment polarity genes were originally discovered as mutations in flies that change the pattern of body segment structures. Mutations in these genes cause animals to develop changed patterns on the surfaces of body segments; the changes affecting the pattern along the head to tail axis. Among the genes in this class are hedgehog, which encodes a secreted protein (HH), and patched, which encodes a protein structurally similar to transporter proteins, having twelve transmembrane domains (ptc), with two conserved glycosylation signals.

[0003] The hedgehog gene of flies has at least three vertebrate relatives—Sonic hedgehog (Shh); Indian hedgehog (Ihh), and Desert hedgehog (Dhh). Shh is expressed in a group of cells, at the posterior of each developing limb bud, that have an important role in signaling polarity to the developing limb. The Shh protein product, SHH, is a critical trigger of posterior limb development, and is also involved in polarizing the neural tube and somites along the dorsal ventral axis. Based on genetic experiments in flies, patched and hedgehog have antagonistic effects in development. The patched gene product, ptc, is widely expressed in fetal and adult tissues, and plays an important role in regulation of development. Ptc downregulates transcription of itself, members of the transforming growth factor and Wnt gene families, and possibly other genes. Among other activities, HH upregulates expression of patched and other genes that are negatively regulated by patched.

[0004] It is of interest that many genes involved in the regulation of growth and control of cellular signaling are also involved in oncogenesis. Such genes may be oncogenes, which are typically upregulated in tumor cells, or tumor suppressor genes, which are down-regulated or absent in tumor cells. Malignancies may arise when a tumor suppressor is lost and/or an oncogene is inappropriately activated. Familial predisposition to cancer may occur when there is a mutation, such as loss of an allele encoding a suppressor gene, present in the germline DNA of an individual.

[0005] The most common form of cancer in the United States is basal cell carcinoma of the skin. While sporadic cases are very common, there are also familial syndromes, such as the basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS). The familial syndrome has many features indicative of abnormal embryonic development, indicating that the mutated gene also plays an important role in development of the embryo. A loss of heterozygosity of chromosome 9q alleles in both familial and sporadic carcinomas suggests that a tumor suppressor gene is present in this region. The high incidence of skin cancer makes the identification of this putative tumor suppressor gene of great interest for diagnosis, therapy, and drug screening.

[0006] Relevant Literature

[0007] Descriptions of patched, by itself or its role with hedgehog may be found in Hooper and Scott (1989) Cell 59-0.751-765; and Nakano et al. (1989) Nature 341-0.508-513. Both of these references also describe the sequence for Drosophila patched. Discussions of the role of hedgehog include Riddle et al. (1993) Cell 75-0.1401-1416-, Echelard et al. (1993) Cell 75:1417-1430-Krauss et al. (1993) Cell 75:1431-1444 (1993); Tabata and Kornberg (1994) 76:89-102; Heemskerk and DiNardo (1994) Cell 76:449-460; and Roelink et al. (1994) Cell 76:-761-775.

[0008] Mapping of deleted regions on chromosome 9 in skin cancers is described in Habuchi et al. (1995) Oncogene 11: 1671-1674, Quinn et al. (1994) Genes Chromosome Cancer 11:222-225; Quinn et al. (1994) J. Invest. Dermatol. 102:300-303; and Wicking et al. (1994) Genomics 22:505-511.

[0009] Gorlin (1987) Medicine 66:98-113 reviews nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome. The syndrome shows autosomal dominant inheritance with probably complete penetrance. About 60% of the cases represent new mutations. Developmental abnormalities found with this syndrome include rib and craniofacial abnormalities, polydactyly, syndactyly and spina bifida. Tumors found with the syndrome include basal cell carcinomas, fibromas of the ovaries and heart, cysts of the skin, jaws and mesentery, meningiomas and medulloblastomas.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Isolated nucleotide compositions and sequences are provided for patched (ptc) genes, including mammalian, e.g. human and mouse, and invertebrate homologs. Decreased expression of ptc is associated with the occurrence of human cancers, particularly basal cell carcinomas and other tumors of epithelial tissues such as the skin. The cancers may be familial, having as a component of risk a germline mutation in the gene, or may be sporadic. Ptc, and its antagonist hedgehog, are useful in creating transgenic animal models for these human cancers. The ptc nucleic acid compositions find use in identifying homologous or related genes; in producing compositions that modulate the expression or function of its encoded protein, ptc; for gene therapy; mapping functional regions of the protein- and in studying associated physiological pathways. In addition, modulation of the gene activity in vivo is used for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes, such as treatment of cancer, identification of cell type based on expression, and the like. Ptc, anti-ptc antibodies and ptc nucleic acid sequences are useful as diagnostics for a genetic predisposition to cancer or developmental abnormality syndromes, and to identify specific cancers having mutations in this gene.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011]FIG. 1 is a graph having a restriction map of about 10 kbp of the 5′ region upstream from the initiation codon of Drosophila patched gene and bar graphs of constructs of truncated portions of the 5′ region joined to fl-galactosidase, where the constructs are introduced into fly cell lines for the production of embryos. The expression of fl-gal in the embryos is indicated in the right-hand table during early and late development of the embryo. The greater the number of +'s, the more intense the staining.

[0012]FIG. 2 shows a summary of mutations found in the human patched gene locus that are associated with basal cell nevus syndrome. Mutation (1) is found in sporadic basal cell carcinoma, and is a C to T transition in exon 3 at nucleotide 523 of the coding sequence, changing Leu 175 to Phe in the first extracellular loop. Mutations 2-4 are found in hereditary basal carcinoma nevus syndrome. (2) is an insertion of 9 bp at nucleotide 2445, resulting in the insertion of an additional 3 amino acids after amino acid 815. (3) is a deletion of 11 bp, which removes nt 2442-2452 from the coding sequence. The resulting frameshift truncates the open reading frame after amino acid 813, just after the seventh transmembrane domain. (4) is a G to C alteration that changes two conserved nucleotides of the 3′ splice site adjacent to exon 10, creating a non-functional splice site that truncates the protein after amino acid 449, in the second transmembrane region.

[0013]FIG. 3 (panels A-B) illustrates the generation of ptc mutations. (A) The ptc mutant allele was generated by homologous recombination between the KO1 targeting vector and ptc. External probe A detected a 3′ EcoRV polymorphism on blots and probe B detected a 5′ SacI polymorphism. Exons are numbered. (B) Transmission of the ptc^(KO1) allele through the germline was confirmed by Southern blot (upper panel) and a PCR genotyping assay (lower panel). PCR primers are indicated as arrows in A. Because the homozygous mutant embryos were being resorbed, there was much less yolk sac DNA in the −/− lanes.

[0014]FIG. 4 (panels A-G) illustrate the germ layer-specific derepression of Hh target genes in ptc^(−/−) embryos. (A, B) Lateral views of E8.25 wild-type (A) and ptc^(−/−) (B) embryos. The headfolds are overgrown in the mutant (white arrows) and the heart is not properly formed (red arrows). (C) Lateral views of E8.75 ptc^(+/−) (left) and ptc^(−/−) (right) embryos stained with X-gal (28) (D, E, F, G) Transverse sections through E8.75 ptc^(+/−) (D, F) and ptc^(−/−) (E, G) embryos stained with X-gal (D, E) or hybridized with a digoxigenin labeled Gli probe (29) (F, G). Both lacZ and Gli were derepressed in the ectoderm and mesoderm but not in the endoderm (arrows). In A and B, anterior is to the left and dorsal is up. In C, anterior is up and dorsal is to the right. In D to G, dorsal is up.

[0015]FIG. 5 (panels A-L) illustrate ventralization of the neural tube in ptc^(−/−) embryos. (A) Lateral view of E8.5 wild-type (left) and ptc^(−/−) (right) embryos hybridized with a HNF3b probe. Expression is expanded dorsally in the mutant. (B, C) Transverse sections through the hindbrain of E8.5 wild-type (B) and ptc^(−/−) (C) embryos hybridized with ³⁵S-labeled Shh probe (8). Shh is expressed in the floor plate (fp) and notochord (nc) of the wild-type embryo, and is greatly expanded in the ptc mutant. g=gut (D, E) Hematoxylin and eosin stained transverse sections through the hindbrain of wild-type (D) and ptc^(−/−) (E) E8.5 embryos. Bottle-shaped cells with basal nuclei are indicated by arrows. (F, G) Transverse sections through E8.5 ptc^(+/−) (F) and ptc^(−/−) (G) embryos hybridized with Pax6 probe show loss of expression from the ptc mutant. (H) Dorsal view of E8.25-E8.5 embryos hybridized with Pax3 probe. Because of the kinking in the neural tube, the ptc^(−/−) embryo is curled on itself. Weak Pax3 expression is seen in the posterior dorsal neural tube of the ptc^(−/−) embryo (bottom, arrow). (I, J) Transverse sections through E8.5 wild-type (I) and ptc^(−/−) (J) embryos hybridized with Pax3 probe. Pax3 is expressed in the dorsal neural tube (nt) and dermamyotome (dm) in the wild-type, but is only present in a small dorsal domain of the mutant neural tube. s=somite (K, L) Lateral views of E9 wild type (K) and E8.5 ptc^(−/−) (L) embryos hybridized with erb-b3 probe. Staining is seen in migrating neural crest in the head and somites of wild type but not mutant embryos (red arrows). Weak staining in the head, heart and gut (black arrows) is background or non-neural crest related. (M) Lateral view of wild type (top) and ptc^(−/−) (bottom) embryos hybridized with Nkx2.1 probe. The body of the mutant is twisted. Nkx2.1 expression is limited to the anterior, but is expanded dorsally in the mutant. (N) Lateral view of E8.5 ptc^(+/−) (left) and ptc^(−/−) (right) embryos hybridized with hoxb1 probe. Loss of expression in rhombomere four is indicated by the asterisks. In all transverse sections, dorsal is up. In A, K, L and N, anterior is up and dorsal is to the right. In H and M, anterior is to the left.

[0016]FIG. 6 (panels A-F) depict keletal abnormalities and medulloblastomas in ptc^(+/−) mice (A) Alcian blue and Alizarin red stained hindlimb from a ptc^(+/−) mouse (30). The preaxial digit is duplicated (arrows). (B, C) Dorsal views of brains from wild-type (B) and ptc^(+/−) (C) mice. Anterior is up. In the posterior wild-type brain, the colliculi (col) are present as distinct bumps between the cortex (cor) and cerebellum (ce). In the ptc^(+/−) mouse, a massive medulloblastoma (mb, outlined in red) grew over the colliculi and normal cerebellum, which can no longer be seen. The olfactory bulbs were removed. (D, E) Hematoxylin and eosin stained section through human (D) and mouse (E) medulloblastomas. The tumor cells are small with dark, carrot-shaped nuclei (arrows) and form nodules with no apparent orientation. (F) Synaptophysin immunoreactivity in a mouse medulloblastoma (26). Synaptophysin staining (brown) is seen in some processes (arrows). Nuclei are purple.

[0017]FIG. 7 (panels A-G) illustrate derepression of ptc and Gli expression in medulloblastomas from ptc^(+/−) mice. (A to C) Semi-adjacent sections through a tumor in the cerebellum of a ptc^(+/−) mouse hybridized with ³⁵S labeled probes to ptc (A), Gli (B) and Shh (C). ptc and Gli transcripts are abundant in the tumors (asterisks) compared to nearby cerebellar tissue (arrows). No Shh was detected in the tumor. (D) ptc^(+/−) cerebellum (ce) and tumor (mb) stained with X-gal (28). Anterior is to the left. Derepression of ptc expression in the medulloblastoma is reflected in the high level of X-gal staining. (E) Surface staining in (arrows) regions of ptc^(+/−) cerebellum contrast with absence of b-galactosidase activity in most folia (asterisk). (F) Sagittal section through cerebellum in E. X-gal staining nuclei (arrow) accumulated superficial to the molecular layer (ml), where stained nuclei are not normally seen. In unaffected regions of the cerebellum; X-gal staining was seen in scattered cells of the molecular layer (ml), strongly kin the Purkinje cell layer (pcl) and weakly in the granule cell layer (gl). (G) ptc expression was examined in total RNA (15 mg) from wild-type (WT) and ptc^(+/−) (+/−) cerebellums using a probe (M2-2) (6) that detects exons downstream of the lacZ and neo insertions. Actin mRNA was used as an RNA loading control. The ptc^(+/−) mice had ˜50% decrease in ptc transcripts.

Database References for Nucleotide and Amino Acid Sequences

[0018] The sequence for the D. melanogaster patched gene has the Genbank accession number M28418. The sequence for the mouse patched gene has the Genbank accession number It30589-V46155. The sequence for the human patched gene has the Genbank accession number U59464.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Vertebrate and invertebrate patched (ptc) gene compositions and methods for their isolation are provided. Of particular interest are mammalian ptc genes, such as the human and mouse homologs described in the appended examples. The ptc gene, in mammals, is a tumor suppressor and developmental regulator. Certain human cancers, e.g. basal cell carcinoma, transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, meningiomas, medulloblastomas, etc., can be characterized by ptc loss-of-function, such as that resulting from oncogenic mutations at the ptc locus, or other loss-of-function mutations which decrease ptc activity in the cell. As described below, we have observed somatic mutations in the ptc gene in a variety of sporadic cancers. For instance, the basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS), an inherited disorder, is associated with germline mutations in ptc. Some patients with basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS) have germ line mutations in ptc, and are at increased risk for developmental defects such as spina bifida and craniofacial abnormalities, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin, and brain tumors. Mutations to ptc genes are also observed to occur in sporadic BCCs, which generally have both copies of ptc inactivated.

[0020] The term “loss-of-function” is art recognized and, with respect to a patched gene or gene product refers to mutations in a patched gene which ultimately decrease or otherwise inhibit the ability of a cell to transduce patched-mediated signals, e.g., the cells may lose responsiveness to hedgehog induction. For example, a loss-of-function mutation to a patched gene may be a point mutation, deletion or insertion of sequences in the coding sequence, intron sequence or 5′ or 3′ flanking sequences of the gene so as to, for example, (i) alter (e.g., decrease) the level patched expression, (ii) alter exon-splicing patterns, (iii) alter the ability of the encoded patched protein to interact with extracellular or intracellular proteins (such as hedgehog), or (iv) alter (decrease) the stability of the encoded patched protein.

[0021] The term “aberrant modification” is art recognized and, with respect to a patched gene, refers to a a non-wildtype mutation or other alteration to the gene, e.g., which results in full or partial loss-of-function of the patched protein or expression of the patched gene.

[0022] Such mutations affecting ptc activity have also been associated with other human cancers, including carcinomas, adenocarcinomas, sarcomas and the like. Decreased ptc activity is also associated with inherited developmental abnormalities, e.g. rib and craniofacial abnormalities, polydactyly, syndactyly and spina bifida.

[0023] The art-recognized term “predisposing mutation”, as it pertains to patched genes, refers to mutations to the patched gene which result in loss-of-function.

[0024] The term “genetic predisposition” is art recognized, and refers to a genotype of an animal which predisposes the animal to developing a certain pathological conditions with a frequency (probability) greater than the average for the overall population of that animal, taking into account, as appropriate, age, sex or other related physical or medical condition(s).

[0025] The ptc genes and fragments thereof, encoded protein, and anti-ptc antibodies are useful in the identification of individuals predisposed to development of a variety of cancers and developmental abnormalities, and in characterizing the phenotype of various tumors or other proliferative or degenerative disorders that are associated with this gene, e.g., for diagnostic and/or prognostic benefit. The characterization is useful for prenatal screening; and in determining the phenotype of a proliferative disorder, e.g. for determining a course of treatment of the patient. Tumors may be typed or staged as to the ptc status, e.g. by detection of mutated sequences, antibody detection of abnormal protein products, and functional assays for altered ptc activity.

[0026] The terms “developmental disorder” and “develpmental abnormality” are art recognized, and refer to abberant development of a cell, tissue or organ, e.g., in size, symmetry or functional performance, which abnormality may or may not be untowardly manifest.

[0027] The term “proliferative disorder” is art recognized and refers to a disorder affecting an animal in a manner which is marked by abberant, or otherwise unwanted, proliferation of a subset of cells of an animal. Cancers are proliferative disorders.

[0028] The encoded ptc protein is also useful in drug screening for compositions that mimic ptc activity or expression, including altered forms of ptc protein, particularly with respect to ptc function as a tumor suppressor in oncogenesis.

[0029] The human and mouse ptc gene sequences and isolated nucleic acid compositions are provided in the appended examples. In identifying the mouse and human patched genes, cross-hybridization of DNA and amplification primers were employed to move through the evolutionary, tree from the known Drosophila ptc sequence, identifying a number of invertebrate homologs.

[0030] The human patched gene has been mapped to human chromosome band 9q22.3, and lies between the polymorphic markers D9S196 and D9S287 (a detailed map of human genome markers may be found in Dib et al. (1996) Nature 280:152-http://www.genethon.fr).

[0031] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the method of the present invention can be carried out using any of a large number of assay techniques for detecting alterations in ptc genes and/or ptc protein function. For instance, individuals are screened by analyzing their DNA or RNA for the presence of a predisposing oncogenic or developmental mutation, as compared to a normal sequence. An exemplary “normal” sequence of patched is provided in SEQ ID NO:19 (human). Specific mutations of interest include any mutation that leads to oncogenesis or developmental abnormalities, including insertions, substitutions and deletions in the coding region sequence, in the introns (e.g., that affect splicing), in the transcriptional regulatory sequences (such as promoter or enhancer sequences) that affect the activity and expression of the protein.

[0032] In general, the subject method can be characterized as including a step of detecting, in a sample of cells from a patient, the presence or absence of ptc expression (at the protein or mRNA transcript level), mutations to the ptc gene (coding or non-coding sequence) and/or the functional activity of ptc in the sample of cells (such as induction of Gli or the like). Moreover, the subject method can be used to assess the phenotype of cells which are known to be transformed, the phenotype results being useful in planning a particular therapeutic regimen.

[0033] To illustrate, nucleic acid samples are obtained from a patient having, or suspected as being at risk for developing, a tumor or developmental abnormality which may be associated with ptc. The nucleic acid is analyzed for the presence of a predisposing mutation in the ptc gene. The presence of a mutated ptc sequence that affects the level of expression of the gene, stability of the gene product, and/or signal transduction activity of ptc confers an increased susceptibility to a proliferative or developmental disorder. Thus, the level of expression of ptc can be used predictively to evaluate whether a sample of cells contains cells which are, or are predisposed towards becoming, transformed.

[0034] Diagnostic/prognostic screening of tissue/cell samples for tumors or developmental abnormalities may also be based on the functional or antigenic characteristics of the protein. Immunoassays designed to detect the normal or abnormal ptc protein may be used in screening. Where many diverse mutations lead to a particular disease phenotype, functional protein assays have proven to be effective screening tools. Such assays may be based on detecting changes in the transcriptional regulation mediated by ptc, or may directly detect ptc activities such as hedgehog binding, transporter activity or the like, or may involve antibody localization of patched in cells.

[0035] Inheritance of BCNS is autosomal dominant, although many cases are the result of new mutations. Diagnosis of BCNS is performed by protein, DNA sequence or hybridization analysis of any convenient sample from a patient, e.g. biopsy material, blood sample, scrapings from cheek, etc. A typical patient genotype will have a predisposing mutation on at least one chromosome. In tumors and at least sometimes developmentally affected tissues, loss of heterozygosity at the ptc locus leads to aberrant cell and tissue behavior. When the normal copy of ptc is lost, leaving only the reduced function mutant copy, abnormal cell growth and reduced cell layer adhesion is the result. Examples of specific ptc mutations in BCNS patients are a 9 bp insertion at nt 2445 of the coding sequence- and an 11 bp deletion of nt 2441 to 2452 of the coding sequence. These result in insertions or deletions in the region of the seventh transmembrane domain.

[0036] Prenatal diagnosis of BCNS may be performed, particularly where there is a family history of the disease, e.g. an affected parent or sibling. It is desirable, although not required, in such cases to determine the specific predisposing mutation present in affected family members. A sample of fetal DNA, such as an amniocentesis sample, fetal nucleated or white blood cells isolated from maternal blood, chorionic villus sample, etc. is analyzed for the presence of the predisposing mutation. Alternatively, a protein based assay, e.g. functional assay or immunoassay, is performed on fetal cells known to express ptc.

[0037] Sporadic tumors associated with loss of ptc function include a number of carcinomas and other transformed cells known to have deletions in the region of chromosome 9q22, e.g. basal cell carcinomas, transitional bladder cell carcinoma, meningiomas, medullomas, fibromas of the heart and ovary, and carcinomas of the lung, ovary, kidney and esophagus. Characterization of sporadic tumors will generally require analysis of tumor cell DNA, conveniently with a biopsy sample. A wide range of mutations are found in sporadic cases, up to and including deletion of the entire long arm of chromosome 9. Oncogenic mutations may delete one or more exons, e.g. 8 and 9, may affect the amino acid sequence such as of the extracellular loops or transmembrane domains, may cause truncation of the protein by introducing a frameshift or stop codon, etc. Specific examples of oncogenic mutations include a C to T transition at nt 523 and deletions encompassing exon 9. C to T transitions are characteristic of ultraviolet mutagenesis, as expected with cases of skin cancer.

[0038] Biochemical studies may be performed to determine whether a candidate sequence variation in the ptc coding region or control regions is oncogenic. For example, a change in the promoter or enhancer sequence that downregulates expression of patched may result in predisposition to cancer. Expression levels of a candidate variant allele are compared to expression levels of the normal allele by various methods known in the art. Methods for determining promoter or enhancer strength include quantitation of the expressed mRNA or ptc protein; insertion of the variant control element into a vector with a reporter gene such as β-galactosidase, chloramphenical acetyltransferase, etc. that provides for convenient quantitation- and the like. Nuclear run-off assays are anpther convenient means for measuring promoter/enhancer activity. The activity of the encoded ptc protein may be determined by comparison with the wild-type protein, e.g. by detection of transcriptional regulation of TGF or Wnt family genes, Gli genes, ptc itself, or reporter gene fusions involving transcriptional regulatory sequences of these target genes.

[0039] The term “patched-dependent gene”, or “a gene which is regulated in a patched-dependent manner”, refers to genes, such as Gli or patched, etc, whose level of expression is regulated at least in part by the presence of a patched protein in the cell, e.g., can be controlled by patched-dependent intracellular signals.

[0040] A human patched gene (SEQ ID NO:18) has a 4.5 kb open reading frame encoding a protein of 1447 amino acids. Including coding and noncoding sequences, it is about 89% identical at the nucleotide level to the mouse patched gene (SEQ ID NO:9). A mouse patched gene (SEQ ID NO:9) encodes a protein (SEO ID NO:10) that has about 38% identical amino acids to Drosophila ptc (SEQ ID NO:6), over about 1,200 amino acids. The butterfly homolog (SEQ ID NO:4) is 1,300 amino acids long and overall has a 50% amino acid identity to fly ptc (SEQ ID NO:6). A 267 bp exon from the beetle patched gene encodes an 89 amino acid protein fragment, which was found to be 44% and 51% identical to the corresponding regions of fly and butterfly ptc respectively.

[0041] The DNA sequence encoding ptc may be cDNA, RNA, genomic DNA or synthetic, an includes fragments of the full-length coding sequence. The term “patched gene” shall be intended to mean the open reading frame encoding specific ptc polypeptides, as well as, as appropriate, adjacent intronic sequences and 5′ and 3′ non-coding nucleotide sequences involved in the regulation of expression, up to about 1 kb beyond the coding region, in either direction. The gene may be introduced into an appropriate vector for extrachromosomal maintenance or for integration into the host.

[0042] The term “cDNA” as used herein is intended to include all nucleic acids that share the arrangement of sequence elements found in native mature mRNA species, where sequence elements are exons, 3′ and 5′ non-coding regions. Normally mRNA species have contiguous exons, with the intervening introns deleted, to create a continuous open reading frame encoding ptc.

[0043] The genomic ptc sequence has a non-contiguous open reading frame, where introns interrupt the coding regions. A genomic sequence of interest comprises the nucleic acid present between the initiation codon and the stop codon, as defined in the listed sequences, including all of the introns that are normally present in a native chromosome. It may further include the 3′ and 5′ untranslated regions found in the mature mRNA. It may further include specific transcriptional and translational regulatory sequences, such as promoters, enhancers, etc., including about 1 kb of flanking genomic DNA at either the 5′ or 3′ end of the coding region. The genomic DNA may be isolated as a fragment of 50 kbp or smaller; and substantially free of flanking chromosomal sequence.

[0044] The nucleic acid compositions of the subject invention encode all or a part of the subject polypeptides. Fragments may be obtained of the DNA sequence by chemically synthesizing oligonucleotides in accordance with conventional methods, by restriction enzyme digestion, by PCR amplification, etc. For the most part, DNA fragments will be of at least 15 nt, usually at least 18 nt, more usually at least about 50 nt. Such small DNA fragments are useful as primers for PCR, hybridization screening, etc. Larger DNA fragments, i.e. greater than 100 nt are useful for production of the encoded polypeptide. For use in amplification reactions, such as PCR, a pair of primers will be used. The exact composition of the primer sequences is not critical to the invention, but for most applications the primers will hybridize to the subject sequence under stringent conditions, as known in the art. It is preferable to chose a pair of primers that will generate an amplification product of at least about 50 nt, preferably at least about 100 nt. Algorithms for the selection of primer sequences are generally known, and are available in commercial software packages. Amplification primers hybridize to complementary strands of DNA, and will prime towards each other.

[0045] A vareity of techniques are know in the art for generating fragments of the subject patched proteins, particularly those which retain the ability to bind hedgehog and/or alter the level of expression of a patched-dependent gene when expressed in a cell. To further illustrate the state of the art of combinatorial mutagenesis, it is noted that the review article of Gallop et al. (1994) J Med Chem 37:1233 describes the general state of the art of combinatorial libraries as of the earlier 1990's. In particular, Gallop et al state at page 1239 “[s]creening the analog libraries aids in determining the minimum size of the active sequence and in identifying those residues critical for binding and intolerant of substitution”. In addition, the Ladner et al. PCT publication WO90/02809, the Goeddel et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,408, and the Markland et al. PCT publication WO92/15679 illustrate specific techniques which one skilled in the art could utilize to generate libraries of patched variants which can be rapidly screened to identify variants/fragments which retained a particular activity, such as signal transduction (measured by transcriptional regulation)and/or the ability to bind hedgehog polypeptides. These techniques are exemplary of the art and demonstrate that large libraries of related variants/truncants can be generated and assayed to isolate particular variants without undue experimentation. Gustin et al. (1993) Virology 193:653, and Bass et al. (1990) Proteins: Structure, Function and Genetics 8:309-314 also describe other exemplary techniques from the art which can be adapted as means for generating mutagenic variants of patched polypeptides.

[0046] Indeed, it is plain from the combinatorial mutagenesis art that large scale mutagenesis of patched proteins, without any preconceived ideas of which residues were critical to the biological function, and generate wide arrays of variants having equivalent biological activity. In fact, it is the ability of combinatorial techniques to screen billions of different variants by high throughout analysis that removes any requirement of a priori understanding or knowledge of critical residues.

[0047] To illustrate, the amino acid sequences for a population of patched homologs or other related proteins are aligned, preferably to promote the highest homology possible. Such a population of variants can include, for example, the subject patched homologs from various vertebrate and invertebrate species. Amino acids which appear at each position of the aligned sequences are selected to create a degenerate set of combinatorial sequences. In a preferred embodiment, the variegated library of patched variants is generated by combinatorial mutagenesis at the nucleic acid level, and is encoded by a variegated gene library. Such techniques have been employed in the directed evolution of other proteins (see, for example, Scott et al. (1990) Science 249:386-390; Roberts et al. (1992) PNAS 89:2429-2433; Devlin et al. (1990) Science 249: 404-406; Cwirla et al. (1990) PNAS 87: 6378-6382; as well as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,223,409, 5,198,346, and 5,096,815).

[0048] A wide range of techniques are known in the art for screening gene products of combinatorial libraries made by point or tuncation mutations, and for screening cDNA libraries for gene products having a certain property. Such techniques will be generally adaptable for rapid screening of the gene libraries generated by the combinatorial mutagenesis of patched homologs. The most widely used techniques for screening large gene libraries typically comprises cloning the gene library into replicable expression vectors, transforming appropriate cells with the resulting library of vectors, and expressing the combinatorial genes under conditions in which detection of a desired activity facilitates relatively easy isolation of the vector encoding the gene whose product was detected. For example, simple binding assays can be performed with hedgehog protein. In other embodiments, the ability of the library gene to alter the transcriptional rate of a reporter gene can be detected. Each of such illustrative assays are amenable to high through-put analysis as necessary to screen large numbers of degenerate patched sequences created by combinatorial mutagenesis techniques.

[0049] Combinatorial mutagenesis has a potential to generate very large libraries of mutant proteins, e.g., in the order of 10²⁶ molecules. Combinatorial libraries of this size may be technically challenging to screen even with high throughput screening assays such as phage display. To overcome this problem, a new technique has been developed recently, recrusive ensemble mutagenesis (REM), which allows one to avoid the very high proportion of non-functional proteins in a random library and simply enhances the frequency of functional proteins, thus decreasing the complexity required to achieve a useful sampling of sequence space. REM is an algorithm which enhances the frequency of functional mutants in a library when an appropriate selection or screening method is employed (Arkin and Yourvan, 1992, PNAS USA 89:7811-7815; Yourvan et al., 1992, Parallel Problem Solving from Nature, 2., In Maenner and Manderick, eds., Elsevir Publishing Co., Amsterdam, pp. 401-410; Delgrave et al., 1993, Protein Engineering 6(3):327-331).

[0050] In prefered embodiments, the subject patched protein is a fragment of the full length protein which binds to hedgehog polypeptides, e.g., including one or both of the substantial extracellular (hydrohilic) domains, such as corresponding to residues Asn120-Ser438 and/or Arg770-Trp1027 of the human patched protein. Other preferred embodiments of patched polypeptides include fragments which are at least 50, 75, 100, 150 and 200 amino acid residues in length. Such forms of the patched protein can be provided in soluble form, as for example a preparation of one of the extracellular domains, or a preparation of both of the extracellular domains which are covalently connected by an unstructured linker (see, for example, Huston et al. (1988) PNAS 85:4879; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,513). In other embodiments, the protein can be provided as part of a liposomal preparation or expressed on the surface of a cell.

[0051] In yet other preferred embodiments, the patched polypeptide is at least 60, 65, 75, 85, 90, or 95 percent identical with the human or mouse patched sequences of the appended sequence listing.

[0052] The ptc genes are isolated and obtained in substantial purity, generally as other than an intact mammalian chromosome. Usually, the DNA will be obtained substantially free of other nucleic acid sequences that do not include a ptc sequence or fragment thereof, generally being at least about 50%, usually at least about 90% pure and are typically “recombinant”, i.e. flanked by one or more nucleotides with which it is not normally associated on a naturally occurring chromosome.

[0053] The DNA sequences are used in a variety of ways. They may be used as probes for identifying other patched genes. Mammalian homologs have substantial sequence similarity to the subject sequences, i.e. at least 75%, usually at least 90%, more usually at least 95% sequence identity with the nucleotide sequence of the subject DNA sequence. Sequence similarity is calculated based on a reference sequence, which may be a subset of a larger sequence, such as a conserved motif, coding region, flanking region, etc. A reference sequence will usually be at least about 18 nt long, more usually at least about 30 nt long, and may extend to the complete sequence that is being compared. Algorithms for sequence analysis are known in the art, such as BLAST, described in Altschul et al. (1990) J Mol Biol 215:403-10.

[0054] Nucleic acids having sequence similarity are detected by hybridization under low stringency conditions, for example, at 50 C and 10×SSC (0-9 M saline/0.09 M sodium citrate) and remain bound when subjected to washing at 55° C. in 1×SSC. By using probes, particularly labeled probes of DNA sequences, one can isolate homologous or related genes. The source of homologous genes may be any mammalian species, e.g. primate species, particularly human-murines, such as rats and mice, canines, felines, bovines, ovines, equines, etc.

[0055] The DNA may also be used to identify expression of the gene in a biological specimen. The manner in which one probes cells for the presence of particular nucleotide sequences, as genomic DNA or RNA, is well-established in the literature and does not require elaboration here. Conveniently, a biological specimen is used as a source of mRNA. The mRNA may be amplified by RT-PCR, using reverse transcriptase to form a complementary DNA strand, followed by polymerase chain reaction amplification using primers specific for the subject DNA sequences. Alternatively, the mRNA sample is separated by gel electrophoresis, transferred to a suitable support, e.g., nitrocellulose and then probed with a fragment of the subject DNA as a probe. Other techniques may also find use. Detection of mRNA having the subject sequence is indicative of patched gene expression in the sample.

[0056] The subject nucleic acid sequences may be modified for a number of purposes, particularly where they will be used intracellularly, for example, by being joined to a nucleic acid cleaving agent, e.g. a chelated metal ion, such as iron or chromium for cleavage of the gene; as an antisense sequence, or the like. Modifications may include replacing oxygen of the phosphate esters with sulfur or nitrogen, replacing the phosphate with phosphoramide, etc.

[0057] A number of methods are available for analyzing genomic DNA sequences. Where large amounts of DNA are available, the genomic DNA is used directly. Alternatively, the region of interest is cloned into a suitable vector and grown in sufficient quantity for analysis, or amplified by conventional techniques, such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The use of the polymerase chain reaction is described in Saiki, et al. (1985) Science 239:487, and a review of current techniques may be found in Sambrook, et al. Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, CSH Press 1989, pp.14.2-14.33.

[0058] A detectable label may be included in the amplification reaction. Suitable labels include fluorochromes, e.g. fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), rhodamine, Texas Red, phycoerythrin, allophycocyanin, 6-carboxyfluorescein (6-FAM), 2′,7′-dimethoxy-4′,5′-dichloro-6-carboxyfluorescein (JOE), 6-carboxy-Xrhodamine (ROX), 6-carboxy-2′,4′,7′,4,7-hexachlorofluorescein (HEX), 5-carboxyfluorescein (5-FAM) or N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-6-carboxyrhodamine (TAMRA), radioactive labels, e.g. 32P, 35S, 3H; etc. The label may be a two stage system, where the amplified DNA is conjugated to biotin, haptens, etc. having a high affinity binding partner, e.g. avidin, specific antibodies, etc., where the binding partner is conjugated to a detectable label. The label may be conjugated to one or both of the primers. Alternatively, the pool of nucleotides used in the amplification is labeled, so as to incorporate the label Into the amplification product.

[0059] The amplified or cloned fragment may be sequenced by dideoxy or other methods, and the sequence of bases compared to the normal ptc sequence. Hybridization with the variant sequence may also be used to determine its presence, by Southern blots, dot blots, etc. Single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and heteroduplex analysis in gel matrices are used to detect conformational changes created by DNA sequence variation as alterations in electrophoretic mobility. The hybridization pattern of a control and variant sequence to an array of oligonucleotide probes immobilized on a solid support, as described in WO 95/11995, may also be used as a means of detecting the presence of variant sequences. Alternatively, where a predisposing mutation creates or destroys a recognition site for a restriction endonuclease, the fragment is digested with that endonuclease, and the products size fractionated to determine whether the fragment was digested. Fractionation is performed by gel electrophoresis, particularly acrylamide or agarose gels.

[0060] In a merely illustrative embodiment, the method includes the steps of (i) collecting a sample of cells from a patient, (ii) isolating nucleic acid (e.g., genomic, mRNA or both) from the cells of the sample, (iii) contacting the nucleic acid sample with one or more primers which specifically hybridize to a ptc gene under conditions such that hybridization and amplification of the ptc gene (if present) occurs, and (iv) detecting the presence or absence of an amplification product, or detecting the size of the amplification product and comparing the length to a control sample.

[0061] In yet another exemplary embodiment, aberrant methylation patterns of a ptc gene can be detected by digesting genomic DNA from a patient sample with one or more restriction endonucleases that are sensitive to methylation and for which recognition sites exist in the ptc gene (including in the flanking and intronic sequences). See, for example, Buiting et al., (1994) Human Mol Genet 3:893-895. Digested DNA is separated by gel electrophoresis, and hybridized with probes derived from, for example, genomic or cDNA sequences. The methylation status of the ptc gene can be determined by comparison of the restriction pattern generated from the sample DNA with that for a standard of known methylation.

[0062] In still another embodiment a diagnostic assay is provided which detects the ability of a ptc gene product, e.g., recombinantly expressed from a gene isolated from a biopsied cell, to bind to other proteins, e.g., upstream (hedgehog) or downstream of ptc. For instance, it will be desirable to detect ptc mutants which bind with lower binding affinity for hedgehog proteins. Such mutants may arise, for example, from fine mutations, e.g., point mutants, which may be impractical to detect by the diagnostic DNA sequencing techniques or by the immunoassays described above. The present invention accordingly further contemplates diagnostic screening assays which generally comprise cloning one or more ptc genes from the sample cells, and expressing the cloned genes under conditions which permit detection of an interaction between that recombinant gene product and a ptc-binding protein, e.g., a hedgehog protein. As will be apparent from the description of the various drug screening assays set forth below, a wide variety of techniques can be used to determine the ability of a ptc protein to bind to other cellular components.

[0063] The subject nucleic acids can be used to generate transgenic animals or site specific gene modifications in cell lines. Transgenic animals may be made through homologous recombination, where the normal patched locus is altered. Alternatively, a nucleic acid construct is randomly integrated into the genome, Vectors for stable integration include plasmids, retroviruses and other animal viruses, YACS, and the like.

[0064] The modified cells or animals are useful in the study of patched function and regulation. For example, a series of small deletions and/or substitutions may be made in the patched gene to determine the role of different exons in oncogenesis, signal transduction, etc. Of particular interest are transgenic animal models for carcinomas of the skin, where expression of ptc is specifically reduced or absent in skin cells. An alternative approach to transgenic models for this disease are those where one of the mammalian hedgehog genes, e.g. Shh, lhh, Dhh, are upregulated in skin cells, or in other cell types. For models of skin abnormalities, one may use a skin-specific promoter to drive expression of the transgene, or other inducible promoter that can be regulated in the animal model. Such promoters include keratin gene promoters. Specific constructs of interest include anti-sense ptc, which will block ptc expression, expression of dominant negative ptc mutations, and over-expression of HH genes. A detectable marker, such as lacZ may be introduced into the patched locus, where upregulation of patched expression will result in an easily detected change in phenotype.

[0065] One may also provide for expression of the patched gene or variants thereof in cells or tissues where it is not normally expressed or at abnormal times of development. Thus, mouse models of spina bifida or abnormal motor neuron differentiation in the developing spinal cord are made available. In addition, by providing expression of ptc protein in cells in which it is otherwise not normally produced, one can induce changes in cell behavior, e.g. through ptc mediated transcription modulation.

[0066] DNA constructs for homologous recombination will comprise at least a portion of the patched or hedgehog gene with the desired genetic modification, and will include regions of homology to the target locus. DNA constructs for random integration need not include regions of homology to mediate recombination. Conveniently, markers for positive and negative selection are included. Methods for generating cells having targeted gene modifications through homologous recombination are known in the art. For various techniques for transfecting mammalian cells, see Keown et al. (1990) Methods in Enzymology 185:527-537.

[0067] For embryonic stem (ES) cells, an ES cell line may be employed, or ES cells may be obtained freshly from a host, e.g. mouse, rat, guinea pig, etc. Such cells are grown on an appropriate fibroblast-feeder layer or grown in the presence of leukemia inhibiting factor (LIF). When ES cells have been transformed, they may be used to produce transgenic animals. After transformation, the cells are plated onto a feeder layer in an appropriate medium. Cells containing the construct may be detected by employing a selective medium. After sufficient time for colonies to grow, they are picked and analyzed for the occurrence of homologous recombination or integration of the construct. Those colonies that are positive may then be used for embryo manipulation and blastocyst injection. Blastocysts are obtained from 4 to 6 week old superovulated females. The ES cells are trypsinized, and the modified cells are injected into the blastocoel of the blastocyst. After injection, the blastocysts are returned to each uterine horn of pseudopregnant females. Females are then allowed to go to term and the resulting litters screened for mutant cells having the construct. By providing for a different phenotype of the blastocyst and the ES cells, chimeric progeny can be readily detected.

[0068] The chimeric animals are screened for the presence of the modified gene and males and females having the modification are mated to produce homozygous progeny. If the gene alterations cause lethality at some point in development, tissues or organs can be maintained as allogeneic or congenic grafts or transplants, or in in vitro culture. The transgenic animals may be any non-human mammal, such as laboratory animals, domestic animals, etc. The transgenic animals may be used in functional studies, drug screening, etc., e.g. to determine the effect of a candidate drug on basal cell carcinomas.

[0069] The subject gene may be employed for producing all or portions of the patched protein. For expression, an expression cassette may be employed, providing for a transcriptional and translational initiation region, which may be, inducible or constitutive, the coding region under the transcriptional control of the transcriptional initiation region, and a transcriptional and translational termination region. Various transcriptional initiation regions may be employed which are functional in the expression host.

[0070] Specific ptc peptides of interest include the extracellular domains, particularly in, the human mature protein, aa 120 to 437, and aa 770 to 1027. These peptides may be used as immunogens to raise antibodies that recognize the protein in an intact cell membrane. The cytoplasmic domains, as shown in FIG. 2, (the amino terminus and carboxy terminus) are of interest in binding assays to detect ligands involved in signaling mediated by ptc.

[0071] The peptide may be expressed in prokaryotes or eukaryotes in accordance with conventional ways, depending upon the purpose for expression. For large scale production of the protein, a unicellular organism or cells of a higher organism, e.g. eukaryotes such as vertebrates, particularly mammals, may be used as the expression host, such as E. coli, B, subthis, S. cerevisiae, and the like. In many situations, it may be desirable to express the patched gene in a mammalian host, whereby the patched gene will be glycosylated, and transported to the cellular membrane for various studies.

[0072] With the availability of the protein in large amounts by employing an expression host, the protein may be isolated and purified in accordance with conventional ways. A lysate may be prepared of the expression host and the lysate purified using HPLC, exclusion chromatography, gel electrophoresis, affinity chromatography; or other purification technique. The purified protein will generally be at least about 80% pure, preferably at least about 90% pure, and may be up to and including 100% pure. By pure is intended free of other proteins, as well as cellular debris.

[0073] The polypeptide is used for the production of antibodies, where short fragments provide for antibodies specific for the particular polypeptide, whereas larger fragments or the entire gene allow for the production of antibodies over the surface of the polypeptide or protein. Antibodies may be raised to the normal or mutated forms of ptc- The extracellular domains of the protein are of interest as epitopes, particular antibodies that recognize common changes found in abnormal, oncogenic ptc, which compromise the protein activity. Antibodies may be raised to isolated peptides corresponding to these domains, or to the native protein, e.g. by immunization with cells expressing ptc, immunization with liposomes having ptc inserted in the membrane, etc. Antibodies that recognize the extracellular domains of ptc are useful in diagnosis, typing and staging of human carcinomas.

[0074] Antibodies are prepared in accordance with conventional ways, where the expressed polypeptide or protein may be used as an immunogen, by itself or conjugated to known immunogenic carriers, e.g. KLH, pre-S HBsAg, other viral or eukaryotic proteins, or the like. Various adjuvants may be employed, with a series of injections, as appropriate, For monoclonal antibodies, after one or more booster injections, the spleen may be isolated, the splenocytes immortalized, and then screened for high affinity antibody binding. The immortalized cells, e.g. hybridomas, producing the desired antibodies may then be expanded. For further description, see Monoclonal Antibodies- A Laboratory Manual, Harlow and Lane eds., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 1988. If desired, the mRNA encoding the heavy and light chains may be isolated and mutagenized by cloning in E. coli, and the heavy and light chains may be mixed to further enhance the affinity of the antibody.

[0075] The antibodies find particular use in diagnostic assays for developmental abnormalities, basal cell carcinomas and other tumors associated with mutations in ptc. Staging, detection and typing of tumors may utilize a quantitative immunoassay for the presence or absence of normal ptc. Alternatively, the presence of mutated forms of ptc may be determined. A reduction in normal ptc and/or presence of abnormal ptc is indicative that the tumor is ptc-associated.

[0076] A sample is taken from a patient suspected of having a ptc-associated tumor, developmental abnormality or BCNS. Samples, as used herein, include biological fluids such as blood, cerebrospinal fluid, tears, saliva, lymph, dialysis fluid and the like organ or tissue culture derived fluids, and fluids extracted from physiological tissues. Also included in the term are derivatives and fractions of such fluids. Biopsy samples are of particular interest, e.g. skin lesions, organ tissue fragments, etc. Where metastasis is suspected, blood samples may be preferred. The number of cells in a sample will generally be at least about 10³, usually at least 10⁴ more usually at least about 10⁵. The cells may be dissociated, in the case of solid tissues, or tissue sections may be analyzed. Alternatively a lysate of the cells may be prepared.

[0077] Diagnosis may be performed by a number of methods. The different methods all determine the absence or presence of normal or abnormal ptc in patient cells suspected of having a mutation in ptc. For example, detection may utilize staining of intact cells or histological sections, performed in accordance with conventional methods. The antibodies of interest are added to the cell sample, and incubated for a period of time sufficient to allow binding to the epitope, usually at least about 10 minutes. The antibody may be labeled with radioisotopes, enzymes, fluorescers, chemiluminescers, or other labels for direct detection. Alternatively, a second stage antibody or reagent is used to amplify the signal. Such reagents are well-known in the art. For example, the primary antibody may be conjugated to biotin, with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated avidin added as a second stage reagent. Final detection uses a substrate that undergoes a color change in the presence of the peroxidase. The absence or presence of antibody binding may be determined by various methods, including flow cytometry of dissociated cells, microscopy, radiography, scintillation counting, etc.

[0078] An alternative method for diagnosis depends on the in vitro detection of binding between antibodies and ptc in a lysate. Measuring the concentration of ptc binding in a, sample or fraction thereof may be accomplished by a variety of specific assays. A conventional sandwich type assay may be used. For example, a sandwich assay may first attach ptc-specific antibodies to an insoluble surface or support. The particular manner of binding is not crucial so long as it is compatible with the reagents and overall methods of the invention They may be bound to the plates covalently or non-covalently, preferably non-covalently.

[0079] The insoluble supports may be any compositions to which polypeptides can be bound, which is readily separated from soluble material, and which is otherwise compatible with the overall method. The surface of such supports may be solid or porous and of any convenient shape. Examples of suitable insoluble supports to which the receptor is bound include beads, e.g. magnetic beads, membranes and microtiter plates. These are typically made of glass, plastic (e.g. polystyrene), polysaccharides, nylon or nitrocellulose. Microtiter plates are especially convenient because a large number of assays can be carried out simultaneously, using small amounts of reagents and samples.

[0080] Patient sample lysates are then added to separately assayable supports (for example, separate wells of a microtiter plate) containing antibodies. Preferably, a series of standards, containing known concentrations of normal and/or abnormal ptc is assayed in parallel with the samples or aliquots thereof to serve as controls. Preferably, each sample and standard will be added to multiple wells so that mean values can be obtained for each. The incubation time should be sufficient for binding, generally, from about 0.1 to 3 hr is sufficient. After incubation, the insoluble support is generally washed of non-bound components. Generally, a dilute non-ionic detergent medium at an appropriate pH, generally 7-8, is used as a wash medium. From one to six washes may be employed, with sufficient volume to thoroughly wash nonspecifically bound proteins present in the sample.

[0081] After washing, a solution containing a second antibody is applied. The antibody will bind ptc with sufficient specificity such that it, can be distinguished from other components present. The second antibodies may be labeled to facilitate direct, or indirect quantification of binding. Examples of labels that permit direct measurement of second receptor binding include radiolabels, such as ³H or ¹²⁵I, fluorescers, dyes, beads, chemilumninescers, colloidal particles, and the like. Examples of labels which permit indirect measurement of binding include enzymes where the substrate may provide for a colored or fluorescent product. In a preferred embodiment, the antibodies are labeled with a covalently bound enzyme capable of providing a detectable product signal after addition of suitable substrate. Examples of suitable enzymes for use in conjugates include horseradish peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase, malate dehydrogenase and the like. Where not commercially available, such antibody-enzyme conjugates are readily produced by techniques known to those skilled in the art. The incubation time should be sufficient for the labeled ligand to bind available molecules. Generally, from about 0.1 to 3 hr is sufficient, usually 1 hr sufficing.

[0082] After the second binding step, the insoluble support is again washed free of non-specifically bound material. The signal produced by the bound conjugate is detected by conventional means. Where an enzyme conjugate is used, an appropriate enzyme substrate is provided so a detectable product is formed.

[0083] Other immunoassays are known in the art and may find use as diagnostics. Ouchterlony plates provide a simple determination of antibody binding. Western blots may be performed on protein gels or protein spots on filters, using a detection system specific for ptc as desired, conveniently using a labeling method as described for the sandwich assay.

[0084] Other diagnostic assays of interest are based on the functional properties of ptc protein itself. Such assays are particularly useful where a large number of different sequence changes lead to a common phenotype, i.e., loss of protein function leading to oncogenesis or developmental abnormality. For example, a functional assay may be based on the transcriptional changes mediated by hedgehog and patched gene products. Addition of soluble Hh to embryonic stem cells causes induction of transcription in target genes. The presence of functional ptc can be determined by its ability to antagonize Hh activity. Other functional assays may detect the transport of specific molecules mediated by ptc, in an intact cell or membrane fragment. Conveniently, a labeled substrate is used, where the transport in or out of the cell can be quantitated by radiography, microscopy, flow cytometry, spectrophotometry, etc. Other assays may detect conformational changes, or changes in the subcellular localization of patched protein.

[0085] By providing for the production of large amounts of patched protein, one can identify ligands or substrates that bind to, modulate or mimic the action of patched A common feature in basal cell carcinoma is the loss of adhesion between epidermal and dermal layers, indicating a role for ptc in maintaining appropriate cell adhesion. Areas of investigation include the development of cancer treatments, wound healing, adverse effects of aging, metastasis, etc.

[0086] Drug screening identifies agents that provide a replacement for ptc function in abnormal cells. The role of ptc as a tumor suppressor indicates that agents which mimic its function, in terms of transmembrane transport of molecules, transcriptional down-regulation, etc., will inhibit the process of oncogenesis. These agents may also promote appropriate cell adhesion in wound healing and aging, to reverse the loss of adhesion observed in metastasis, etc. Conversely, agents that reverse ptc function may stimulate controlled growth and healing. Of particular interest are screening assays for agents that have a low toxicity for human cells. A wide variety of assays may be used for this purpose, including labeled in vitro protein-protein binding assays, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, immunoassays for protein binding, and the like. The purified protein may also be used for determination of three-dimensional crystal structure, which can be used., for modeling intermolecular interactions, transporter function, etc.

[0087] The term “agent” as used herein describes any molecule, e.g. protein or pharmaceutical, with the capability of altering or mimicking the physiological function of patched Generally a plurality of assay mixtures are run in parallel with different agent concentrations to obtain a differential response to the various concentrations. Typically, one of these concentrations serves as a negative control, i.e. at zero concentration or below the level of detection.

[0088] Candidate agents encompass numerous chemical classes, though typically they are organic molecules, preferably small organic compounds having a molecular weight of more than 50 and less than about 2,500 daltons. Candidate agents comprise functional groups necessary for structural interaction with proteins, particularly hydrogen bonding, and typically include at least an amine, carbonyl, hydroxyl or carboxyl group, preferably at least two of the functional chemical groups. The candidate agents often comprise cyclical carbon or heterocyclic structures and/or aromatic or polyaromatic structures substituted with one or more of the above functional groups. Candidate agents are also found among biomolecules including peptides, saccharides, fatty acids, steroids, purines, pyrimidines, derivatives, structural analogs or a combinations thereof.

[0089] Candidate agents are obtained from a wide variety of sources including libraries of synthetic or natural compounds. For example, numerous means are available for random and directed synthesis of a wide variety of organic compounds and biomolecules, including expression of randomized oligonucleotides and oligopeptides. Alternatively, libraries of natural compounds in the form of bacterial, fungal, plant and animal extracts are available or readily produced. Additionally, natural or synthetically produced libraries and compounds are readily modified through conventional chemical, physical and biochemical means, and may be used to produce combinatorial libraries. Known pharmacological agents may be subjected to directed or random chemical modifications, such as acylation, alkylation, esterification, amidification, etc. to produce structural analogs.

[0090] Where the screening assay is a binding assay, one or more of the molecules may be joined to a label, where the label can directly or indirectly provide a detectable signal. Various labels include radioisotopes, fluorescers, chemiluminescers, enzymes, specific binding molecules, particles, e.g. magnetic particles, and the like. Specific binding molecules include pairs, such as biotin and streptavidin, digoxin and antidigoxin etc. For the specific binding members, the complementary member would normally be labeled with a molecule that provides for detection, in accordance with known procedures.

[0091] A variety of other reagents may be included in the screening assay. These include reagents like salts, neutral proteins, e.g. albumin, detergents, etc. that are used to facilitate optimal protein-protein binding and/or reduce nonspecific or background interactions. Reagents that improve the efficiency of the assay, such as protease inhibitors, nuclease inhibitors, anti-microbial agents, etc. may be used. The mixture of components are added in any order that provides for the requisite binding. Incubations are performed at any suitable temperature, typically between 4° and 40° C. Incubation periods are selected for optimum activity, but may also be optimized to facilitate rapid high-throughput screening. Typically between 0.1 and 1 hours will be sufficient.

[0092] Other assays of interest detect agents that mimic patched function, such as repression of target gene transcription, transport of patched substrate compounds, etc. For example, an expression construct comprising a patched gene may be introduced into a cell line under conditions that allow expression. The level of patched activity is determined by a functional assay, as previously described. In one screening assay, candidate agents are added in combination with a Hh protein, and the ability to overcome Hh antagonism of ptc is detected. In another assay, the ability of candidate agents to enhance ptc function is determined. Alternatively, candidate agents are added to a cell that lacks functional ptc, and screened for the ability to reproduce ptc in a functional assay.

[0093] In one embodiment, the drug screening assay is a cell-based assay which detects the ability of a compound to alter patched-dependent gene transcription. By selecting transcriptional regulatory sequences from genes whose expression is regulated by patched signal transduction, e.g. from patched, GLI, hedgehog or PTHrP genes, e.g., regulatory sequences that are responsible for the up- or down regulation of these genes in response to patched signalling, and operatively linking such promoters to a reporter gene, one can derive a transcription based assay which is sensitive to the ability of a specific test compound to modify patched signalling pathways. Expression of the reporter gene, thus, provides a valuable screening tool for the development of compounds that act as agonists or antagonists of patched.

[0094] Reporter gene based assays of this invention measure the end stage of the above described cascade of events, e.g., transcriptional modulation. Accordingly, in practicing one embodiment of the assay, a reporter gene construct is inserted into the reagent cell in order to generate a detection signal dependent on ptc signaling. To identify potential regulatory elements responsive to ptc signaling present in the transcriptional regulatory sequence of a target gene, nested deletions of genomic clones of the target gene can be constructed using standard techniques. See, for example, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Ausubel, F. M. et al. (eds.) Greene Publishing Associates, (1989); U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,488; Sato et al. (1995) J Biol Chem 270:10314-10322; and Kube et al. (1995) Cytokine 7:1-7. A nested set of DNA fragments from the gene's 5′-flanking region are placed upstream of a reporter gene, such as the luciferase gene, and assayed for their ability to direct reporter gene expression in patched expressing cells. Host cells transiently transfected with reporter-gene constructs can be scored for the induction of expression of the reporter gene in the presence and absence of hedgehog to determine regulatory sequences which are responsice to patched-dependent signalling.

[0095] In practicing one embodiment of the assay, a reporter gene construct is inserted into the reagent cell in order to generate a detection signal dependent on second messengers generated by induction with hedgehog protein. Typically, the reporter gene construct will include a reporter gene in operative linkage with one or more transcriptional regulatory elements responsive to the hedgehog activity, with the level of expression of the reporter gene providing the hedgehog-dependent detection signal. The amount of transcription from the reporter gene may be measured using any method known to those of skill in the art to be suitable. For example, mRNA expression from the reporter gene may be detected using RNAse protection or RNA-based PCR, or the protein product of the reporter gene may be identified by a characteristic stain or an intrinsic activity. The amount of expression from the reporter gene is then compared to the amount of expression in either the same cell in the absence of the test compound (or hedgehog) or it may be compared with the amount of transcription in a substantially identical cell that lacks the target receptor protein. Any statistically or otherwise significant difference in the amount of transcription indicates that the test compound has in some manner altered the signal transduction of the patched protein, e.g., the test compound is a potential ptc therapeutic.

[0096] As described in further detail below, in preferred embodiments the gene product of the reporter, is detected by an intrinsic activity associated with that product. For instance, the reporter gene may encode a gene product that, by enzymatic activity, gives rise to a detection signal based on color, fluorescence, or luminescence. In other preferred embodiments, the reporter or marker gene provides a selective growth advantage, e.g., the reporter gene may enhance cell viability, relieve a cell nutritional requirement, and/or provide resistance to a drug.

[0097] Preferred reporter genes are those that are readily detectable. The reporter gene may also be included in the construct in the form of a fusion gene with a gene that includes desired transcriptional regulatory sequences or exhibits other desirable properties. Examples of reporter genes include, but are not limited to CAT (chloramphenicol acetyl transferase) (Alton and Vapnek (1979), Nature 282: 864-869) luciferase, and other enzyme detection systems, such as beta-galactosidase; firefly luciferase (deWet et al. (1987), Mol. Cell. Biol. 7:725-737); bacterial luciferase (Engebrecht and Silverman (1984), PNAS 1: 4154-4158; Baldwin et al. (1984), Biochemistry 23: 3663-3667); alkaline phosphatase (Toh et al. (1989) Eur. J. Biochem. 182: 231-238, Hall et al. (1983) J. Mol. Appl. Gen. 2: 101), human placental secreted alkaline phosphatase (Cullen and Malim (1992).Methods in Enzymol. 216:362-368).

[0098] Transcriptional control elements which may be included in a reporter gene construct include, but are not limited to, promoters, enhancers, and repressor and activator binding sites. Suitable transcriptional regulatory elements may be derived from the transcriptional regulatory regions of genes whose expression is induced after modulation of a patched signal transduction pathway. The characteristics of preferred genes from which the transcriptional control elements are derived include, but are not limited to, low or undetectable expression in quiescent cells, rapid induction at the transcriptional level within minutes of extracellular simulation, induction that is transient and independent of new protein synthesis, subsequent shut-off of transcription requires new protein synthesis, and mRNAs transcribed from these genes have a short half-life. It is not necessary for all of these properties to be present.

[0099] The compounds having the desired pharmacological activity may be administered in a physiologically acceptable carrier to a host for treatment of cancer or developmental abnormalities attributable to a defect in patched function. The compounds may also be used to enhance patched function in wound healing, aging, etc. The inhibitory agents may be administered in a variety of ways, orally, topically, parenterally e.g. subcutaneously, intraperitoneally, by viral infection, intravascularly, etc. Topical treatments are of particular interest. Depending upon the manner of introduction, the compounds may be formulated in a variety of ways. The concentration of therapeutically active compound in the formulation may vary from about 0.1-100 wt. %.

[0100] The pharmaceutical compositions can be prepared in various forms, such as granules, tablets, pills, suppositories, capsules, suspensions, salves, lotions and the like. Pharmaceutical grade organic or inorganic carriers and/or diluents suitable for oral and topical use can be used to make up compositions containing the therapeutically-active compounds. Diluents known to the art include aqueous media, vegetable and animal oils and fats. Stabilizing agents, wetting and emulsifying agents, salts for varying the osmotic pressure or buffers for securing an adequate pH value, and skin penetration enhancers can be used as auxiliary agents.

[0101] The gene or fragments thereof may be used as probes for identifying the 5′ non-coding region comprising the transcriptional initiation region, particularly the enhancer regulating the transcription of patched. By probing a genomic library, particularly with a probe comprising the 5′ coding region, one can obtain fragments comprising the 5′ non-coding region. If necessary, one may walk the fragment to obtain further 5′ sequence to ensure that one has at least a functional portion of the enhancer. It is found that the enhancer is proximal to the 5′ coding region, a portion being in the transcribed sequence and downstream from the promoter sequences. The transcriptional initiation region may be used for many purposes, studying embryonic development, providing for regulated expression of patched protein or other protein of interest during embryonic development or thereafter, and in gene therapy.

[0102] The gene may also be used for gene therapy. Vectors useful for introduction of the gene include plasmids and viral vectors. Of particular interest are retroviral-based vectors, e.g. moloney murine leukemia virus and modified human immunodeficiency virus-adenovirus vectors, etc. Gene therapy may be used to treat skin lesions, an affected fetus, etc., by transfection of the normal gene into embryonic stem cells or into other fetal cells. A wide variety of viral vectors can be employed for transfection and stable integration of the gene into the genome of the cells. Alternatively, micro-injection may be employed, fusion, or the like for introduction of genes into a suitable host cell. See, for example, Dhawan et al. (1991) Science 254:1509-1512 and Smith et al. (1990) Molecular and Cellular Biology 3268-3271.

[0103] The following examples are offered by illustration not by way of limitation.

Experimental

[0104] Methods and Materials

[0105] PCR on Mosquito (Anopheles gambiae) Genomic DNA. PCR primers were based on amino acid stretches of fly ptc that were not likely to diverge over evolutionary time and were of low degeneracy. Two such primers (P2R1 (SEO ID NO-14)-GGACGAATTCAARGTNCAYCARYTNTGG, P4R1: (SEQ ID NO: 15) GGACGAATTCCYTCCCARAARCANTC, (the underlined sequences are Eco RI linkers) amplified an appropriately sized band from mosquito genomic DNA using the PCR. The program conditions were as follows:

[0106] 94 C 4 min.; 72 C Add Taq;

[0107] [49 C 30 sec.; 72 C 90 sec.; 94 C 15 sec] 3 times

[0108] [94 C 15 sec.; 50 C 30 sec.; 72 C 90 sec] 35 times

[0109] 72 C 10 min; 4 C hold

[0110] This band was subcloned into the EcoRV site of pBluescript II and sequenced using the USB Sequence kit.

[0111] Screen of a Butterfly cDNA Library with Mosquito PCR Product. Using the mosquito PCR product (SEQ ID NO:7) as a probe, a 3 day embryonic Precis coenia gt10 cDNA library (generously provided by Sean Carroll) was screened. Filters were hybridized at 65° C. overnight in a solution containing 5×SSC, 10% dextran sulfate, 5× Denhardt's, 200 μg/ml sonicated salmon sperm DNA, and 0.5% SDS. Filters were washed in 0.1×SSC, 0.1% SDS at room temperature several times to remove nonspecific hybridization. Of the 100,000 plaques initially screened, 2 overlapping clones, L1 and L2, were isolated, which corresponded to the N terminus of butterfly ptc. Using L2 as a probe, the library filters were rescreened and 3 additional clones (L5, L7, L8) were isolated which encompassed the remainder of the ptc coding sequence. The full length sequence of butterfly ptc (SEQ ID NO:3).was determined by ABI automated sequencing.

[0112] Screen of a Tribolium (beetle) Genomic Library with Mosquito PCR Product and 900 bp Fragment from the Butterfly Clone. A gem II genomic library from Tribolium casteneum (gift of Rob Dennell) was probed with a mixture of the mosquito PCR (SEQ ID NO:7) product and BstXI/EcoRI fragment of L2. Filters were hybridized at 55 C overnight and washed as above. Of the 75,000 plaques screened, 14 clones were identified and the Sacl fragment of T8 (SEQ ID NO:1), which crosshybridized with the mosquito and butterfly probes, was subcloned into pBluescript.

[0113] PCR on Mouse cDNA Using Degenerate Primers Derived from Regions Conserved in the Four Insect Homologues. Two degenerate PCR primers (P4REV-(SEQ ID NO:16) GGACGAATTCYTNGANTGYTTYTGGGA-P22-(SEQ ID NO:17) CATACCAGCCAAGCTTGTCIGGCCARTGCAT) were designed based on a comparison of ptc amino acid sequences from fly (Drosophila melanogaster) (SEQ ID NO:6), mosquito (Anopheles gambiae) (SEQ ID NO:8), butterfly (Precis coenia) (SEQ ID NO:4), and beetle (Tribolium casteneum) (SEQ ID NO:2). I represents inosine, which can form base pairs with all four nucleotides. P22 was used to reverse transcribe RNA from 12.5 dpc mouse limb bud (gift from David Kingsley) for 90 min at 37 C. PCR using P4REV (SEQ ID NO:17) and P22 (SEQ ID NO:18) was then performed on 1 l of the resultant cDNA under the following conditions:

[0114] 94 C 4 min.; 72 C Add Taq;

[0115] [94 C 15 sec.-50 C 30 sec.-72 C 90 sec.] 35 times

[0116] 72 C 10 min.-, 4 C hold

[0117] PCR products of the expected size were subcloned into the TA vector (Invitrogen) and sequenced with the Sequenase Version 2.0 DNA Sequencing Kit (U.S. B.). Using the cloned mouse PCR fragment as a probe, 300,000 plaques of a mouse 8.5 dpc gt10 cDNA library (a gift from Brigid Hogan) were screened at 65 C as above and washed in 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS at room temperature. 7 clones were isolated, and three (M2, M4, and M8) were subcloned into pBluescript II. 200,000 plaques of this library were rescreened using first, a 1.1 kb EcoRI fragment from M2 to identify 6 clones (M9-M16) and secondly a mixed probe containing the most N terminal (Xhol fragment from M2) and most C terminal sequences (BamHI/BgIII fragment from M9) to isolate 5 clones (M17-M21). M9, M10, M14, and M17-21 were subcloned into the EcoRI site of pBluescript II (Strategene).

[0118] RNA Blots and In Situ Hybridizations in Whole and Sectioned Mouse Embryos:

[0119] Northerns. A mouse embryonic Northern blot and an adult multiple tissue Northern blot (obtained from Clontech) were probed with a 900 bp EcoRl fragment from an N terminal coding region of mouse ptc. Hybridization was performed at 65° C. in 5×SSPE, 10× Denhardt's, 100 μg/ml sonicated salmon sperm DNA, and 2% SDS. After several short room temperature washes in 2×SSC, 0.05% SDS, the blots were washed at high stringency in 0.1×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 50° C.

[0120] In situ hybridization of sections: 7.75, 8.5, 11.5, and 13.5 dpc mouse embryos were dissected in PBS and frozen in Tissue-Tek medium at −80° C. 12-16 μm frozen sections were cut, collected onto VectaBond (Vector Laboratories) coated slides, and dried for 30-60 minutes at room temperature. After a 10 minute fixation in 4% paraformaldehyde in PBS, the slides were washed 3 times for 3 minutes in PBS, acetylated for 10 minutes in 0.25% acetic anhydride in triethanolamine, and washed three more times for 5 minutes in PBS. Prehybridization (50% formamide, 5×SSC, 250 μg/ml yeast tRNA, 500 μg/ml sonicated salmon sperm DNA, and 5× Denhardt's) was carried out for 6 hours at room temperature in 50% formamide/5×SSC humidified chambers. The probe, which consisted of 1 kb from the N-terminus of ptc, was added at a concentration of 200-1000 ng/ml into the same solution used for prehybridization, and then denatured for five minutes at 80° C. Approximately 75 μl of probe were added to each slide and covered with Parafilm. The slides were incubated overnight at 65° C. in the same humidified chamber used previously. The following day, the probe was washed successively in 5×SSC (5 minutes, 65° C.), 0.2×SSC (1 hour, 65° C.), and 0.2×SSC (10 minutes, room temperature). After five minutes in buffer B1 (0.1M maleic acid, 0.15 M NaCl, pH 7.5), the slides were blocked for 1 hour at room temperature in 1% blocking reagent (Boerhinger-Mannheim) in buffer B1, and then incubated for 4 hours in buffer B1 containing the DIG-AP conjugated antibody (Boerhinger-Mannheim) at a 1:5000 dilution. Excess antibody was removed during two 15 minute washes in buffer B1, followed by five minutes in buffer B3 (100 mM Tris, 100 mM NaCl, 5 nmM MgCl2, pH 9.5). The antibody was detected by adding an alkaline phosphatase substrate (350 μl 75 mg/ml X-phosphate in DMF, 450 μl 50 mg/ml NBT in 70% DMF in 100 mls of buffer B3) and allowing the reaction to proceed overnight in the dark. After a brief rinse in 10 mM Tris, 1 mM EDTA, pH 8.0, the slides were mounted with Aquamount (Lerner Laboratories).

[0121] Drosophila 5-transcriptional initiation region-gal constructs. A series of constructs were designed that link different regions of the ptc promoter from Drosophila to a LacZ reporter gene in order to study the cis regulation of the ptc expression pattern. See FIG. 1. A 10.8 kb BamHI/BspMl fragment comprising the 5′-non-coding region of the mRNA at its 3′-terminus was obtained and truncated by restriction enzyme digestion as shown in FIG. 1. These expression cassettes were introduced into Drosophila lines using a P-element vector (Thummel et al. (1988) Gene 74:445-456), which were injected into embryos, providing flies which could be grown to produce embryos. (See Spradling and Rubin (1982) Science 218:341-347 for a description of the procedure.) The vector used a pUC8 background into which was introduced the white gene to provide for yellow eyes, portions of the P-element for integration, and the constructs were inserted into a polylinker upstream from the LacZ gene. The resulting embryos, larvae, and adults were stained using antibodies to LacZ protein conjugated to HRP and the samples developed with OPD dye to identify the expression of the LacZ gene. The staining pattern in embryos is described in FIG. 1, indicating whether there was staining during the early and late development of the embryo.

[0122] Isolation of a Mouse ptc Gene. Homologues of fly ptc (SEQ ID NO:6) were isolated from three insects: mosquito, butterfly and beetle, using either PCR or low stringency library screens. PCR primers to six amino acid stretches of ptc of low mutatability and degeneracy were designed. One primer pair, P2 and P4, amplified an homologous fragment of ptc from mosquito genomic DNA that corresponded to the first hydrophilic loop of the protein. The 345 bp PCR product (SEQ ID NO:7) was subcloned and sequenced and when aligned to fly ptc, showed 67% amino acid identity.

[0123] The cloned mosquito fragment was used to screen a butterfly gt 10 cDNA library. Of 100,000 plaques screened, five overlapping clones were isolated and used to obtain the full length coding sequence. The butterfly ptc homologue (SEQ ID NO:4) is 1,311 amino acids long and overall has 50% amino acid identity (72% similarity) to fly ptc. With the exception of a divergent C-terminus, this homology is evenly spread across the coding sequence. The mosquito PCR clone (SEQ ID NO:7) and a corresponding fragment of butterfly cDNA were used to screen a beetle gemll genomic library. Of the plaques screened, 14 clones were identified. A fragment of one clone (T8), which hybridized with the original probes, was subcloned and sequenced. This 3 kb piece contains an 89 amino acid exon (SEQ ID NO:2) which is 44% and 51% identical to the corresponding regions of fly and butterfly ptc respectively.

[0124] Using an alignment of the four insect homologues in the first hydrophilic loop of the ptc, two PCR primers were designed to a five and six amino acid stretch which were identical and of low degeneracy. These primers were used to isolate the mouse homologue using RT-PCR on embryonic limb bud RNA. An appropriately sized band was amplified and upon cloning and sequencing, it was found to encode a protein 65% identical to fly ptc. Using the cloned PCR product and subsequently, fragments of mouse ptc cDNA, a mouse embryonic cDNA library was screened. From about 300,000, plaques, 17 clones were identified and of these, 7 form overlapping cDNA's that comprise most of the protein-coding sequence (SEQ ID NO:9).

[0125] Developmental and Tissue Distribution of Mouse ptc RNA. In both the embryonic and adult Northern blots, the ptc probe detects a single 8 kb message. Further exposure does not reveal any additional minor bands. Developmentally, ptc mRNA is present in low levels as early as 7 dpc and becomes quite abundant by 11 and 15 dpc. While the gene is still present at 17 dpc, the Northern blot indicates a clear decrease in the amount of message at this stage. In the adult, ptc RNA is present in high amounts in the brain and lung, as well as in moderate amounts in the kidney and liver. Weak signals are detected in heart, spleen, skeletal muscle, and testes.

[0126] In situ Hybridization of Mouse ptc in Whole and Section Embryos. Northern analysis indicates that ptc mRNA is present at 7 dpc, while there is no detectable signal in sections from 7.75 dpc embryos. This discrepancy is explained by the low level of transcription. In contrast, ptc is present at high levels along the neural axis of 8.5 dpc embryos. By 11.5 dpc, ptc can be detected in the developing lung buds and gut, consistent with its adult Northern profile. In addition the gene is present at high levels in the ventricular zone of the central nervous system, as well as in the zona limitans of the prosencephalon. ptc is also strongly transcribed in the condensing cartilage of 11.5 and 13.5 dpc limb buds, as well as in the ventral portion of the somites, a region which is prospective sclerotome and eventually forms bone in the vertebral column. ptc is present in a wide range of tissues from endodermal, mesodermal and ectodermal origin supporting its fundamental role in embryonic development.

[0127] Isolation of the Human ptc Gene. To isolate human ptc (hptc), 2×105 plaques from a human lung cDNA library (HL3022a, Clonetech) were screened with a 1 kbp mouse ptc fragment, M2-2. Filters were hybridized overnight at reduced stringency (60° C. in 5×SSC, 10% dextran sulfate, 5× Denhardt's, 0.2 mg/ml sonicated salmon sperm DNA, and 0.5% SDS). Two positive plaques (H1 and H2) were isolated, the inserts cloned into pBluescript, and upon sequencing, both contained sequence highly similar to the mouse ptc homolog. To isolate the 5′ end, an additional 6×10⁵ plaques were screened in duplicate with M2-3 EcoRI and M2-3 Xho I (containing 5′ untranslated sequence of mouse ptc) probes. Ten plaques were purified and of these, inserts were subcloned into pBluescript. To obtain the full coding sequence, H2 was fully and H14, H20, and H21 were partially sequenced. The 5.1 kbp of human ptc sequence (SEQ ID NO:18) contains an open reading frame of 1447 amino acids (SEQ ID NO: 19) that is 96% identical and 98% similar to mouse ptc. The 5′ and 3′ untranslated sequences of human ptc (SEQ ID NO:18) are also highly similar to mouse ptc (SEQ ID NO:19) suggesting conserved regulatory sequence.

[0128] Comparison of Mouse, Human, Fly and Butterfly Sequences. The deduced mouse ptc protein sequence (SEQ ID NO: 10) has about 38% identical amino acids to fly ptc over about 1,200 amino acids. This amount of conservation is dispersed through much of the protein excepting the C-terminal region. The mouse protein also has a 50 amino acid insert relative to the fly protein. Based on the sequence conservation of ptc and the functional conservation of hedgehog between fly and mouse, one concludes that ptc functions similarly in the two organisms. A comparison of the amino acid sequences of mouse (mptc) (SEQ ID NO:10), human (hptc) (SEQ ID NO: 19), butterfly (bptc) (SEQ ID NO:4) and drosophila (ptc) (SEQ ID NO:6) is shown in the follwing table.

Alignment of Human, Mouse, Fly, and Butterfly ptc Homologs

[0129] HPTC MASAGNAAEPQDR--GGGGSGCIGAPGRPAGGGRRRRTGGLRRAAAPDRDYLHRPSYCDA MPTC MASAGNAA---------------GALGRQAGGGRRRRTGGPHRA-APDRDYLHRPSYCDA PTC M-----DRDSLPRVPDTHGD--VVDE---------KLFSDL---------YI-RTSWVDA BPTC MVAPDSEAPSNPRITAAHESPCATEA---------RHSADL---------YI-RTSWVDA *                                  .  ..          *. * *  ** HPTC AFALEQISKGKATGRKAPLWLRAKFQRLLFKLGCYIQKNCGKFLVVGLLIFGAFAVGLKA MPTC AFALEQISKGKATGRKAPLWLRAKFQRLLFKLGCYIQKNCGKFLVVGLLIFGAFAVGLKA PTC QVALDQIDKGKARGSRTAIYLRSVFQSHLETLGSSVQKHAGKVLFVAILVLSTFCVGLKS BPTC ALALSELEKGNIEGGRTSLWIRAWLQEQLFILGCFLQGDAGKVLFVAILVLSTFCVGLKS   ** .. **.  * .... .*. .*  *  **   * . ** * *..*....* ****. HPTC ANLETNVEELWVEVGGRVSRELNYTRQKIGEEAMFNPQLMIQTPKEEGANVLTTEALLQH MPTC ANLETNVEELWVEVGGRVSRELNYTRQKIGEEAMFNPQLMIQTPKEEGANVLTTEALLQH PTC AQIHSKVHQLWIQEGGRLEAELAYTQKTIGEDESATHQLLIQTTHDPNASVLHPQALLAH BPTC AQIHTRVDQLWVQEGGRLEAELKYTAQALGEADSSTHQLVIQTAKDPDVSLLHPGALLEH *.... *..**.. ***.  ** ** . .**      **.***  .   ..*   *** * HPTC LDSALQASRVHVYMYNRQWKLEHLCYKSGELITET-GYMDQIIEYLYPCLIITPLDCFWE MPTC LDSALQASRVHVYMYNRQWKLEHLCYKSGELITET-GYMDQIIEYLYPCLIITPLDCFWE PTC LEVLVKATAVKVHLYDTEWGLRDMCNMPSTPSFEGIYYIEQILRHLIPCSIITPLDCFWE BPTC LKVVHAATRVTVHMYDIEWRLKDLCYSPSIPDFEGTHHIESIIDNVIPCAIITPLDCFWE *     *. * * .*. .* * ..*  ..    *    .. *. . ** *********** HPTC GAKLQSGTAYLLGKPPLR----WTNFDPLEFLEELK------KINYQVDSWEEMLNKAEV MFTC GAKLQSGTAYLLGKPPLR----WTNFDPLEFLEELK------KINYQVDSWEEMLNKAEV PTC GSQLL-GPESAVVIPGLNQRLLWTTLNPASVMQYMKQKMSEEKISFDFETVEQYMKRAAI BPTC GSKLL-GPDYPIYVPHLKHKLQWTHLNPLEVVEEVK-KL---KFQFPLSTIEAYMKRAGI  *..* *     *  * *     ** ..*   .. .*      *. .   . *  ...*. HPTC GHGYMDRPCLNPADPDCPATAPNKNSTKPLDMALVLNGGCHGLSRKYMHWQEELIVGGTV MPTC GHGYMDRPCLNPADPDCPATAPNKNSTKPLDVALVLNGGCQGLSRKYMHWQEELIVGGTV PTC GSGYMEKPCLNPLNPNCPDTAPNKNSTQPPDVGAILSGGCYGYAAKHMHWPEELIVGGRK BPTC TSAYMKKPCLDPTDPHCPATAPNKKSGHIPDVAAELSHGCYGFAAAYMHWPEQLIVGGAT   .** .***.* .*.** ***** *    *..  *. ** * .   *** *.***** HPTC KNSTGKLVSAHALQTMFQLMTPKQMYEHFKGYEYVSHINWNEDKAAAILEAWQRTYVEVV MPTC KNATGKLVSAHALQTMFQLMTPKQMYEHFRGYDYVSHINWNEDRAAAILEAWQRTYVEVV PTC RNRSGHLRKAQALQSVVQLMTEKEMYDQWQDNYKVHHLGWTQEKAAEVLNAWQRNFSREV BFTC RNSTSALRSARALQTVVQLMGEREMYEYWADHYKVHQIGWNQEKAAAVLDAWQRKFAAEV .* .. *  *.***.. ***  ..**.   .   * .. * ...** .*.**** .   * HPTC HQSVAQNSTQK----VLSFTTTTLDDTLKSFSDVSVIRVASGYLLMLAYACLTMLRW-DC MPTC HQSVAPNSTQK----VLPFTTTTLDDILKSFSDVSVIRVASGYLLMLAYACLTMLRW-DC PTC EQLLRKQSRIATNYDIYVFSSAALDDILAKFSHPSALSIVIGVAVTVLYAFCTLLRWRDP BPTC RKI-TTSGSVSSAYSFYPFSTSTLNDILGKFSEVSLKNIILGYMFMLIYVAVTLIQWRDP  .     .          *....*.***  **. *   .  *    . *   *...* * HPTC SKSQGAVGLAGVLLVALSVAAGLGLCSLIGISFNAATTQVLPFLALGVGVDDVFLLAHAF MPTC SKSQGAVGLAGVLLVALSVAAGLGLCSLIGISFNAATTQVLPFLALGVGVDDVFLLAHAF PTC VRGQSSVGVAGVLLMCFSTAAGLGLSALLGIVFNAASTQVVPFLALGLGVDHIFMLTAAY BPTC IRSQAGVGIAGVLLLSITVAAGLGFCALLGIPFNASSTQIVFFLALGLGVQDMFLLTHTY HPTC SETGQNKRIPFEDRTGECLKRTGASVALTSISNVTAFFMAALIPIPALRAFSLQAAVVVV MPTC SETGQNKRIPFEDRTGECLKRTGASVALTSISNVTAFFMAALIPIPALRAFSLQAAVVVV PTC AESN------RREQTKLILKKVGFSILFSACSTAGSFFAAAFIPVPALKVFCLQAAIVMC BPTC VEQAGD--VPREERTGLVLKKSGLSVLLASLCNVMAFLAAALLPIPAFRVFCLQAAILLL HPTC FNFAMVLLIFPAILSMDLYRREDRRLDIFCCFTSPCVSRVIQVEFQAYTDTHDNTRYSPP MPTC FNFAMVLLIFPAILSMDLYRPEDRRLDIFCCFTSPCVSRVIQVEPQAYTEPHSNTRYSPP PTC SNLAAALLVFPAMISLDLRRRTAGRADIFCCCF-PVWKEQPKVAPPVLPLNNNNGR---- BPTC FNLGSILLVFPAMISLDLRRRSAAPADLLCCLM-P---ESP------LPKKKIPER---- HPTC PPYSSHSFAHETQITMQSTVQLRTEYDPHTHVYYTTAEPRSEISVQPVTVTQDT LSCQSP MPTC PPYTSHSFAHETHITMQSTVQLRTEYDPHTHVYYTTAEFRSEISVQPVTVTQDNLSCQSP PTC ------ --------------------------- GARHPKSCNNNRVPLPAQNPLLEQFA BPTC ----------------------------------- AKTRKNDKTHRID-TTRQPLDPDVS HPTC ESTSSTRDLLSQFSDSSLHCLEPPCTKWTLSSFAEKHYAPFLLKPKAKVVVIFLFLGLLG MPTC ESTSSTRDLLSQFSDSSLHCLEPPCTKWTLSSFAEKHYAPFLLKPKAKVVVILLFLGLLG PTC DIPGSS------------HSLASF----SLATFAFQHYTPFLMRSWVKFLTVMGFLAALI BPTC ENVTKT------------CCL-SV----SLTKWAKNQYAPFIMRPAVKVTSMLALIAVIL HPTC VSLYGTTRVRDGLDLTDIVPRETREYDFIAAQFKYFSFYNMYIVTQKA-DYPNIQHLLYD MPTC VSLYGTTRVRDGLDLTDIVPRETREYDFIAAQFKYFSFYNMYIVTQKA-DYPNIQHLLYD PTC SSLYASTRLQDGLDIIDLVPKDSNEHKFLDAQTRLFGFYSMYAVTQGNFEYPTQQQLLRD BPTC TSVWGATKVKDGLDLTDIVPENTDEHEFLSRQEKYFGFYNMYAVTQGNFEYPTNQKLLYE HPTC LHRSFSNVKYVMLEENKQLPKMWLHYFRDWLQGLQDAFDSDWETGKIMPNN-YKNGSDDG MPTC LHKSFSNVKYVMLEENKQLPQMWLHYFRDWLQGLQDAFDSDWETGRIMPNN-YKNGSDDG PTC YHDSFVRVPHVIKNDNGGLPDFWLLLFSEWLGNLQKIFDEEYRDGRLTKECWFPNASSDA BPTC YHDQFVRIPNIIKNDNGGLTKFWLSLFRDWLLDLQVAFDKEVASGCITQEYWCKNASDEG HPTC VLAYKLLVQTGSRDKPIDISQLTK-QRLVDADGIINPSAFYIYLTAWVSNDPVAYAASQA MPTC VLAYKLLVQTGSRDKPIDISQLTK-QRLVDADGIINPSAFYIYLTAWVSNDPVAYAASQA PTC ILAYKLIVQTGHVDNPVDKELVLT-NRLVNSDGIINQRAFYNYLSAWATNDVFAYGASQG BPTC ILAYKLMVQTGHVDNPIDKSLITAGHRLVDKDGIINPKAFYNYLSAWATNDALAYGASQG HPTC NIRPHRPEWVHDKADYMPETRLRIPAAEPIEYAQFPFYLNGLRDTSDFVEAIEKVRTICS MPTC NIRPHRPEWVHDKADYMPETRLRIPAAEPIEYAQFPFYLNGLRDTSDFVEAIEKVRVICN PTC KLYPEPRQYFHQPNEY----DLKIPKSLPLVYAQMPFYLHGLTDTSQIKTLIGHIRDLSV BPTC NLKPQPQRWIHSPEDV----HLEIKKSSPLIYTQLPFYLSGLSDTDSIKTLIRSVRDLCL HPTC NYTSLGLSSYPNGYPFLFWEQYIGLPHWLLLFISVVLACTFLVCAVFLLNPWTAGIIVMV MPTC NYTSLGLSSYPNGYPFLFWEQYISLRHWLLLSISVVLACTFLVCAVFLLNPWTAGIIVMV PTC KYEGFGLPNYPSGIPFIFWEQYMTLRSSLAMILACVLLAALVLVSLLLLSVWAAVLVILS BPTC KYEAKGLPNFPSGIPFLFWEQYLYLRTSLLLALACALGAVFIAVMVLLLNAWAAVLVTLA HPTC LALMTVELFGMMGLIGIKLSAVPVVILIASVGIGVEFTVHVALAFLTAIGDKNRRAVLAL MPTC LALMTVELFGMMGLIGIKLSAVPVVILIASVGIGVEFTVHVALAFLTAIGDKNHRAMLAL PTC VLASLAQIFGAMTLLGIKLSAIPAVILILSVGMMLCFNVLISLGFMTSVGNRQRRVQLSM BPTC LATLVLQLLGVMALLGVKLSAMPPVLLVLAIGRGVHFTVHLCLGFVTSIGCKRRRASLAL HPTC EHMFAPVLDGAVSTLLGVLMLAGSEFDFIVRYFFAVLAILTILGVLNGLVLLPVLLSFFG MPTC EHMFAPVLDGAVSTLLGVLMLAGSEFDFIVRYFFAVLAILTVLGVLNGLVLLPVLLSFFG PTC QMSLGPLVHGMLTSGVAVFMLSTSPFEFVIPHFCWLLLVVLCVGACNSLLVFPILLSMVG BPTC ESVLAPVVHGALAAALAASMLA.ASEFGFVARLFLRLLLALVFLGLIDGLLFFPIVLSILO HPTC PYPEVSPANGLNRLPTPSPEPPPSVVRFAMPPGHTHSGSDSSDSEYSSQTTVSGLSE-EL MPTC PCPEVSPANGLNRLPTPSPEPPPSVVRFAVPPGHTNNGSDSSDSEYSSQTTVSGISE-EL PTC PEAELVPLEHPDRISTPSPLPVRSSKRSGKSYVVQGSRSSRGSCQKSHHHHHKDLNDPSL BPTC PAAEVRPIEHPERLSTPSPKCSPIHPRKSSSSSGGGDKSSRTS--KSAPRPC----APSL HPTC RHYEAQQGAGGPAHQVIVEATENPVFAHSTVVHPESRHHPPSNPRQQPHLDSGSLPPGRQ MPTC RQYEAQQGAGGPAHQVIVEATENPVFARSTVVHPDSPHQPPLTPRQQPHLDSGSLSPGRQ PTC TTITEEPQSWKSSNSSIQMPNDWTYQPREQ--RPASYAAPPPAYHKAAAQQHHQHQGPPT BPTC TTITEEPSSWHSSAHSVQSSMQSIVVQPEVVVETTTYNGSDSASGRSTPTKSSHGGAITT HPTC GQQPRRDPPREGLWPPLYRPRRDAFEISTEGHSGPSNRARWGPRGARSHNPPNPASTAMG MPTC GQQPRRDPPREGLRPPPYRPRRDAFEISTEGHSGPSNRDRSGPRGARSHNPRNPTSTAMG PTC TPPPPFPTA-----------------YPPELQSIVVQPEVTVETTHS-----------DS BPTC TKVTATANIKVEVVTPSDRKSRRSYHYYDRRRDRDEDRDRDRERDRDRDRDRDRDRDRDR HPTC SSVPGYCQPITTVTASASVTVAVHPPPVPGPGRNPRGGLCPGY---PETDHGLFEDPHVP MPTC SSVPSYCQPITTVTASASVTVAVHPP--PGPGRNPRGGPCPGYESYPETDHGVFEDPHVP PTC NT--------TKVTATANIKVELAMP-----GPAVRS---YNFTS--------------- BPTC DR--------DRERSRERDRP.DRYRD-----EPDHPA---SPRENGRDSGHE------- HPTC FHVRCERRDSKVEVIELQDVECEERPRGSSSN MPTC FHVRCERRDSKVEVIELQDVECEERPWGSSSN PTC -------------------------------- BPTC -------------------------- SDSSRH

[0130] The identity of ten other clones recovered from the mouse library is not determined. These cDNAs cross-hybridize with mouse ptc sequence, while differing as to their restriction maps. These genes encode a family of proteins related to the patched protein. Alignment of the human and mouse nucleotide sequences, which includes coding and noncoding sequence, reveals 89% identity.

[0131] Radiation hybrid mapping of the human ptc gene. Oligonucleotide primers and conditions for specifically amplifying a portion of the human ptc gene from genomic DNA by the polymerase chain reaction were developed. This marker was designated STS SHGC-8725. It generates an amplification product of 196 bp, which is observed by agarose gel electrophoresis when o human DNA is used as a template, but not when rodent DNA is used. Samples were scored in duplicate for the presence or absence of the 196 bp product in 83 radiation hybrid DNA samples from the Stanford G3 Radiation Hybrid Panel (purchased from Research Genetics, Inc.) By comparison of the pattern of G3 panel scores for those with a series of Genethon meiotic linkage 5 markers, it was determined that the human ptc gene had a two point lod score of 1,000 with the meiotic marker D9S287, based on no radiation breaks being observed between the gene and the marker in 83 hybrid cell lines. These results indicate that the ptc gene lies within 50-100 kb of the marker. Subsequent physical mapping in YAC and BAC clones confirmed this close linkage estimate. Detailed map information can be obtained from http://www.shgc.stanford.edu.

[0132] Analysis of BCNS mutations. The basal cell nevus syndrome has been mapped to the same region of chromosome 9q as was found for ptc. An initial screen of EcoRI digested DNA from probands of 84 BCNS kindreds did not reveal major rearrangements of the ptc gene, and so screening was performed for more subtle sequence abnormalities. Using vectorette PCR, by the method according to Riley et al. (1990) N.A.R. 18:2887-2890, on a BAC that contains genomic DNA for the entire coding region of ptc, the intronic sequence flanking 20 of the 24 exons was determined. Single strand conformational polymorphism analysis of PCR-amplified DNA from normal individuals, BCNS o patients and sporadic basal cell carcinomas (BCC) was performed for 20 exons of ptc coding sequence. The amplified samples giving abnormal bands on SSCP were then sequenced.

[0133] In blood cell DNA from BCNS individuals, four independent sequence changes were found; two in exon 15 and two in exon 1 0. One 49 year old man was found to have a sequence change in exon 15. His affected sister and daughter have the same alteration, but three unafflicted relatives do not. His blood cell DNA has an insertion of 9 base pairs at nucleotide 2445 of the coding sequence, resulting in the insertion of three amino acids (PNI) after amino acid 815. Because the normal sequence preceding the insertion is also PNI, a direct repeat has been formed.

[0134] The second case of an exon 15 change is an 18 year old woman who developed jaw cysts at age 9 and BCCs at age 6. The developmental effects together with the BCCs indicate that she has BCNS, although none of her relatives are known to have the syndrome. Her blood cell DNA has a deletion of 11 bp, removing the sequence ATATCCAGCAC at nucleotides 2441 to 2452 of the coding sequence. In addition, nucleotide 2452 is changed from a T to an A. The deletion results in a frameshift that is predicted to truncate the protein after amino acid 813 with the addition of 9-amino acids. The predicted mutant protein is truncated after the seventh transmembrane domain. In Drosophila, a ptc protein that is truncated after the sixth transmembrane domain is inactive when ectopically expressed, in contrast to the full-length protein, suggesting that the human protein is inactivated by the exon 15 sequence change. The patient with this mutation is the first affected family member, since her parents, age 48 and 50, have neither BCCs nor other signs of the BCNS-DNA from both parents' genes have the normal nucleotide sequence for exon 15, indicating that the alteration in exon 15 arose in the same generation as did the BCNS phenotype. Hence her disease is the result of a new mutation. This sequence change is not detected in 84 control chromosomes.

[0135] Analysis of sporadic basal cell carcinomas. To determine whether ptc is also involved in BCCs that are not associated with the BCNS or germline changes, DNA was examined from 12 sporadic BCCS. Three alterations were found in these tumors. In one tumor, a C to T transition in exon 3 at nucleotide 523 of the coding sequence changes a highly conserved leucine to phenylalanine at residue '175 in the first putative extracellular loop domain Blood cell DNA from the same individual does not have the alteration, suggesting that it arose somatically in the tumor. SSCP was used to examine exon 3 DNA from, 60 individuals who do not have BCNS, and found no changes from the normal sequence. Two other sporadic BCCs have deletions o encompassing exon 9 but not extending to exon 8.

[0136] The existence of sporadic and hereditary forms of BCCs is reminiscent of the characteristics of the two forms of retinoblastoma. This parallel, and the frequent deletion in tumors of the copy of chromosome 9q predicted by linkage to carry the wild-type allele, demonstrates that the human ptc is a tumor suppressor gene. ptc represses a variety of genes, including growth factors, during Drosophila development and may have the same effect in human skin. The often reported large body size of BCNS patients also could be due to reduced ptc function, perhaps due to loss of control of growth factors. The C to T transition identified in ptc in the sporadic BCC is also a common genetic change in the p53 gene in BCC and is consistent with the role of sunlight in causing these tumors. By contrast, the inherited deletion and insertion mutations identified in BCNS patients, as expected, are not those characteristic of ultraviolet mutagenesis.

[0137] The identification of the ptc mutations as a cause of BCNS links a large body of developmental genetic information to this important human disease. In embryos lacking ptc function part of each body segment is transformed into an anterior-posterior mirror-image duplication of another part. The patterning changes in ptc mutants are due in part to derepression of another segment polarity gene, wingless, a homolog of the vertebrate Wnt genes that encodes secreted signaling proteins. In normal embryonic development, ptc repression of wg is relieved by the Hh signaling protein, which emanates from adjacent cells in the posterior part of each segment. The resulting localized wg expression in each segment primordium organizes the pattern of bristles on the surface of the animal. The ptc gene inactivates its own transcription, while Hh signaling induces ptc transcription.

[0138] In flies two other proteins work together with Hh to activate target genes: the ser/thr kinase fused and the zinc finger protein encoded by cubitus interruptus. Negative regulators working together with ptc to repress targets are protein kinase A and costal2. Thus, mutations that inactivate human versions of protein kinase A or costal2, or that cause excessive activity of human hh, gli, or a fused homolog, may modify the BCNS phenotype and be important in tumorigenesis.

[0139] In accordance with the subject invention, mammalian patched genes, including the mouse and human genes, are provided, which can serve many purposes. Mutations in the gene are found in patients with basal cell nevus syndrome, and in sporadic basal cell carcinomas. The autosomal dominant inheritance of BCNS indicates that patched is a tumor suppressor gene. The patched protein may be used in a screening for agonists and antagonists, and for assaying for the transcription of ptc mRNA. The protein or fragments thereof may be used to produce antibodies specific for the protein or specific epitopes of the protein. In addition, the gene may be employed for investigating embryonic development, by screening fetal tissue, preparing transgenic animals to serve as models, and the like.

[0140] As described above, patients with basal cell nevus syndrome have a high incidence of multiple basal cell carcinomas, medulloblastomas, and meningiomas. Because somatic ptc mutations have been found in sporadic basal cell carcinomas, we have screened for ptc mutations in several types of sporadic extracutaneous tumors. We found that 2 of 14 sporadic medulloblastomas bear somatic nonsense mutations in one copy of the gene and also deletion of the other copy. In addition, we identified mis-sense mutations in ptc in two of seven breast carcinomas, one of nine meningiomas, and one colon cancer cell line. No ptc gene mutations were detected in 10 primary colon carcinomas and eighteen bladder carcinomas.

[0141] BCNS³ (OMIM #109400) is a rare autosomal dominant disease with diverse phenotypic abnormalities, both tumorous (BCCs, medulloblastomas, and meningiomas) and developmental (misshapen ribs, spina bifida occults, and skull abnormalities; Gorlin, R. J. (1987) Medicine 66:98-113). The BCNS gene was mapped to chromosome 9q22.3 by linkage analysis of BCNS families and by LOH analysis in sporadic BCCs (Gallani, M. R. et al. (1992) Cell 69:111-117). LOH in sporadic medulloblastomas has been reported in the same chromosome region (Schofield, D. et al. (1995) Am J Pathol 146:472-480). Recently, the human homologue of the Drosophila patched (PTCII) gene has been mapped to the BCNS region (Hahn, H. et al. (1996) Cell 85:841-851; Johnson, R. L. et al. (1996) Science 272:1668-1671; Gallani, M. R. et al (1996) Nat Genet 14:78-81; Xie, J. et al. (1997) Genes Chromosomes Cancer 18:305-309), and mutations in this gene have been found in the blood DNA of BCNS patients and in the DNA of sporadic BCCs (Hahn, H. et al., supra; Johnson, R. L. et al., supra; Gallani, M. R. et al., supra; and Chidambaram, A. et al. (1996) Cancer Res 36:4599-4601). ptc appears to function as a tumor suppressor gene; inactivation abrogates its normal inhibition of the hedgehog signaling pathway. Because of the wide variety of tumors in patents with the BCNS and wide tissue distribution of ptc gene expression, we have begun screening for ptc gene mutations in several types of human cancers, especially those present in increased numbers in BCNS patients (medulloblastomas), those in tissues derived embryologically from epidermis (breast carcinomas) and those with chromosome 9q LOG (bladder carcinomas; see Cairns, P. et al. (1993) Cancer Res 53:1230-1232; and Sidransky, D. et al. (1997) NEJM 326:737-740).

[0142] To further study the roles of ptc in development and in tumorigenesis, we have constructed mice lacking ptc function. By homologous recombination, part of ptc exon 1 (including the putative start codon) and all of exon 2 were replaced with lacZ and a neomycin resistance gene (FIG. 3) (DNA from the ptc genomic locus was isolated from a 129SV genomic phage library [Stratagene]. Exons 1-15 of human PTC (1) were mapped by PCR and sequencing. The 3′ arm of homology was a 3.5 kb EcoRI-BamHI fragment from the second intron that gained a BamHI site from pBSII [Stratagene] and was cloned into the BamHI site of pPNT [Tybulewicz, et al. (1991) Cell 65:1153]. A cassette containing the gene for nuclear localized b-galactosidase, followed by the mP1 intron and polyA tail was excised from pNLacF [Mercer, et al. (1991) Neuron 7:703] and cloned into the Xho I site of pPNT using Xho I and Sal I linkers. The 5′ arm of homology was a 6.5 kb Xho I to Nru I fragment that was cloned into the Xho I site upstream of lacZ via a Sal I linker. The Nru I site is in the first ptc exon. The resulting plasmid, KO 1, was linearized with Xho I and electroporated into RI ES cells that were subjected to double selection and analyzed by Southern blot [Joyner, A. L. Gene Targeting: A Practical Approach. Oxford University Press, New York, 1993, pp.33-61]. Targeted clones were expanded and used for injection into C57B1/6 blastocysts [Hogan, B. et al. Manipulating the Mouse Embryo: A Laboratory Manual Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, 1994, pp.196-204]. Protein made from any alternative ATG would lack the first proposed transmembrane domain, flipping the orientation of the protein in the membrane. Three independent ES clones were used to make chimeras that were bred to B6D2F1 animals to generate heterozygous mice on a mixed background. Interbreeding of heterozygotes produced no homozygous animals among 202 offspring examined. Analysis of embryos from timed matings suggested that ptc^(−/−) embryos die between embryonic day (E) 9.0 and E10.5, with the first gross phenotypes appearing by E8. In ptc^(−/−) embryos, the neural tube failed to close completely and was overgrown in the head folds, hindbrain and spinal cord (FIG. 4, A to C). Embryonic lethality may have been due to abnormal development of the heart (FIG. 4B), which never beats.

[0143] In flies Ptc protein inhibits ptc transcription. By inhibiting Ptc function, Hh increases production of Ptc which may then bind available Hh and limit the range or duration of effective Hh signal (Y. Chen and G. Struhl, (1996) Cell 87:553). Hh signaling also post-transcriptionally regulates the zinc finger protein cubitus interruptus (ci) (C. K. Motzny and R. Holmgren, (1996) Mech Dev 52:137; Domínguez, et al. (1996) Science 272:1621; Hepker, et al. (1997) Development 124:549; Aza-Blanc, et al., (1997) Cell 89:1043). In vertebrates, Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling induces transcription of both ptc and a ci homolog, Gli (Goodrich, et al. (1996) Genes Devel. 10:301; Marigo, et al. (1996) Development 122:1225; Concordet, et al., (1996) Development 122:2835; Marigo, et al (1996) Dev. Biol. 180:273). Derepression of ptc and Gli in ptc^(−/−) mice should therefore reveal where Ptc is normally active.

[0144] ptc and Gli expression was greatly increased in ptc^(−/−) embryos. In ptc^(+/−) mice expression of the lacZ gene fused to the first ptc exon during targeting accurately reported the pattern of ptc transcription (FIG. 4, C and D). In ptc^(−/−) embryos expression of ptc-lacZ was extensively derepressed starting at about E8.0 in the anterior neural tube and spreading posteriorly by E8.75 (FIG. 4, C and E). Derepression was germ layer-specific: both ptc-lacZ and Gli were expressed throughout the ectoderm and mesoderm, but not in the endoderm (FIG. 4, D to G). ptc expression may be excluded from the endoderm in order to avoid interfering with Shh signaling from the endoderm to the mesoderm (Roberts et al., (1995) Development 121:3163). A differential requirement for Ptc may distinguish the germ layers.

[0145] As revealed by ptc mutants, an early site of Ptc activity is the neural tube, where Shh and Ptc act antagonistically to determine cell fates. Shh induces the floor plate and motor neurons in the ventral neural tube (Echelard et al., (1993) Cell 75:1417; Roelink et al., (1994) Cell 76:761; Roelink et al., (1995) Cell 81:445-455). These cell types fail to form in Shh mutants (Chiang et al., (1996) Nature 383:407). High levels of Shh produced by the notochord may induce floor plate by completely inactivating Ptc (Echelard et al., (1993) supra; Roelink et al., (1994) supra; Roelink et al., (1995) supra). If so, elimination of ptc function might cause floor plate differentiation throughout the neural tube. Prospective floor plate cells transcribe the forkhead transcription factor HNF3b first and then Shh itself (Echelard et al., (1993) supra; Roelink et al., (1994) supra; Roelink et al., (1995) supra). In E8.5 ptc mutants, transcription of HNF3b and Shh was expanded dorsally (FIG. 5, A to C). Ectopic Shh expression was most extensive in the anterior, where transcripts could be detected throughout the neurepithelium (FIG. 5, B and C). Cells in this region were in a single layer with basal nuclei, like floor plate cells that are normally restricted to the ventral midline (FIG. 5, D and E). Expression of the intermediate neural tube marker Pax6 (C. Walther and P. Gruss, (1991) Development 113:1435) was completely absent from ptc mutant embryos, suggesting that only ventral, and not ventrolateral, cell fates are specified (FIG. 5, F and G).

[0146] Dorsalizing signals from the surface ectoderm (Dickinson, et al. (1995) Development 121:2099; Liem, et al. (1995) Cell 82:969) could confer dorsal cell fates even in the absence of ptc function. In E8-E9 ptc homozygotes the dorsal neural tube marker Pax3 was not expressed in the anterior neural tube, but was transcribed in a very small region at the dorsal-most edge of the posterior neural tube (FIG. 5, H to J). In addition erb-b3 transcription, which marks migratory neural crest cells (FIG. 5K) (H. U. Wang and D. J. Anderson, (1997) Neuron 18:383), was not detected in the somites of ptc mutants (FIG. 5L). We conclude that only limited dorsal fate determination occurs in the absence of ptc. BMP signals maintain dorsal gene expression (Dickinson, et al. (1995) supra; Liem, et al. (1995) supra), so either ptc is required for BMPs to work or BMP signaling is ineffective in most cells expressing Shh targets.

[0147] Ventralization of the neural tube in ptc mutants occurred without affecting cell identity along the rostrocaudal axis. In ptc^(−/−) embryos, cells in the anterior neural tube expressed the forebrain marker Nkx2.1 (Shimamura, et al. (1995) Development 121:3923) and cells in the spinal cord transcribed low levels of hoxbl (Wilkinson, et al. (1989) Nature 341:405) (FIG. 5, M and N). hoxbl was not transcribed in the fourth rhombomere of ptc mutants (FIG. 5, N). This may reflect a transformation of hindbrain cells to floor plate, since hoxbl is excluded from the midline of wild-type embryos. Conversely, in the anterior, Nkx2.1 expression was expanded dorsally in mutants compared to wild-type embryos (FIG. 5, M).

[0148] ptc^(+/−) mice had phenotypes similar to those of BCNS patients: they were larger than their wild-type littermates [30.72±3.83 (average±SD; n=29) vs. 26.54±2.51 (n=39) at 2-3 months; P=0.000001], a small fraction (3 of 389 mice examined) had hindlimb defects such as extra digits or syndactyly (FIG. 6A) or obvious soft tissue tumors (1 of 243) and many developed brain tumors (see below).

[0149] Of 243 ptc^(+/−) mice which were between the ages of 2 and 9 months and were not sacrificed for other studies, 18 died or were euthanized because of sickness. No wild-type littermates died. Ten of the affected heterozygotes were autopsied and eight were found to have large growths in the cerebellum that resembled medulloblastomas (FIG. 6, B and C). Human medulloblastomas are believed to arise from a “primitive neurectodermal” cell type (J. P. Provias and L. E. Becker, (1996) J Neurooncol 29:35). They are most common in children, can be metastatic or non-metastatic, and can have glial and neuronal properties. The histology of tumors from ptc^(+/−) mice was similar to that of human medulloblastoma: tumor cells were small, with dark carrot-shaped nuclei and little cytoplasm (FIG. 6, D and E), and although a subset expressed neurofilament protein and synaptophysin (FIG. 6F) (For immunostaining, two tumors were fixed and embedded in paraffin. Tissue sections (4 mm) were cleared and dehydrated, treated with 3% hydrogen peroxide and then with a dilution of 1:10 normal rabbit serum (Vector Laboratories). Anti-synaptophysin (Boehringer-Mannheim) was used at a dilution of 1:5 and anti-neurofilament protein (Dako) at 1:50. Antibody binding was visualized with a peroxidase Vectastain Elite ABC kit (Vector Laboratories). Nuclei were counterstained with hematoxylin. Like anti-synaptophysin, anti-neurofilament staining appeared in processes of the tumor cells.), the majority of cells appeared undifferentiated. Of the two autopsied animals without apparent medulloblastomas, one had a large tumor growing out of its rib muscle and the other died for unknown reasons. Medulloblastomas and soft tissue tumors were also observed in ptc^(+/−) mice maintained on an inbred 129SV background: 6 of 27 had obvious medulloblastomas; 2 of 27 had tumors in the muscle of their leg; and 3 of 27 died but were not examined.

[0150] The ptc and Gli genes were strongly transcribed in the brain tumors but not in surrounding tissue (FIG. 7, A and B; n=3 of 3 tumors examined). There was no detectable increase in Shh expression (FIG. 7C). To assess the incidence of medulloblastomas, brains from 47 asymptomatic ptc^(+/−) mice were randomly collected and stained with X-gal. Nine brains contained medulloblastomas that were easily recognized by their disorganized morphology and intense ptc-lacZ expression (FIG. 7D). Medulloblastomas were observed in 7 of 23 (30.4%) ptc^(+/−) mice at 12 to 25 weeks of age, 1 of 12 (8.3%) mice at 9 to 10 weeks and 1 of 12 (8.3%) mice at 5 weeks. Tumors can therefore arise as early as 5 weeks postnatally, but they increase in severity and frequency as the animal ages.

[0151] We looked for changes in ptc-lacZ expression that might reflect early stages of tumorigenesis. At all stages examined, about half of the animals [50% at 5 to 10 weeks (n=24), 56.5% at 12 to 25 weeks (n=23)] exhibited regions of increased X-gal staining on the surface of the cerebellum (FIG. 7E). These regions were usually lateral and often extended down into the fissures separating the folia (FIG. 7, E and F). The mouse medulloblastomas may arise from these cells, which are superficial to the molecular layer of the cerebellum (FIG. 7F). During fetal development, prospective cerebellar granule cells proliferate in the external granule layer (EGL), the outermost layer of the cerebellum. Granule cells then leave and migrate past the Purkinje cells to form the internal granule cell layer of the adult animal, gradually depleting the EGL. The remnants of the fetal EGL have been proposed to be a source of human medulloblastoma progenitors, a hypothesis consistent with the higher frequency of these tumors in children (L. Stevenson and F. Echlin, (1934) Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. 31:93; Kadin, et al. (1970) J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 29:583).

[0152] The abundance of cerebellar ptc transcripts was reduced by about 50% in the ptc^(+/−) mice compared to wild-type littermates (FIG. 7G). This reduction could lead to ectopic expression of Shh target genes and to uncontrolled cell proliferation. Brain tumors might arise from Ptc haploinsufficiency alone, from additional mutations in the second ptc allele, or from a combination of ptc mutations with mutations in other tumor suppressor loci. We have not observed BCCs in ptc^(+/−) mice, perhaps because somatic inactivation of the second ptc gene is required as it is in human BCCs.

[0153] Our analysis has revealed that Ptc controls growth and pattern formation in early neural development and in the adult cerebellum. Autoregulation of ptc occurs in vertebrates as it does in flies, and the balance between Hh and Ptc activities appears critical for normal development. The importance of Ptc dosage is emphasized by the phenotype of the ptc^(+/−) mice, which develop a tumor type observed in the corresponding human cancer predisposition syndrome. Medulloblastoma is a common childhood brain tumor and the prognosis remains grim. The Hh/Ptc pathway may provide new diagnostic tools and new insights into tumorigenesis that may be directed toward potential therapies.

[0154] Materials and Methods

[0155] Clinical Materials. Diagnoses of all tumors were confirmed histologically. Cell lines were obtained from the America Type Culture Collection. DNA was extracted from tumors or matched normal tissue (peripheral blood leukocytes or skin) as described (Cogen, P. H. et al. (1990) Genomics 8:279-285; and Sambrook, J. et al. Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Ed. 2, Vol. 2, pp. 9.17-9.19, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (1989)).

[0156] PCR and Heteroduplex Analysis. PCR amplification and heteroduplex/SSCP analysis were performed as described (Johnson, R. L. et al., supra; Spritz, R. A. et al. (1992) Am J Hum Genet 51:1058-1065). Primers used and intron/exon boundary sequences of the ptc gene were derived as reported previously (Johnson, R. L. et al., supra) and are shown in Table 1. Primers for exon 1 and 2 were from Hahn et al (supra).

[0157] Sequence Analysis. Exon segments exhibiting bands were reamplified and were sequenced directly using the Sequenase sequencing kit according to the protocol recommended by the manufacturer (United States Biochemical Corp.). A second sequencing was performed using independently amplified PCR products to confirm the sequence change. The amplified PCR products from each tumor were also cloned into the plasmid vector pCR 2.1 (InVitrogen), followed by sequence analysis of at least four independent clones. The sequence alteration was confirmed from at least two independent clones. Simplified amplification of specific allele analysis was performed according to Lei and Hall (Lei, X. and Hall, B. G. (1994) Biotechniques 16:44-45).

[0158] Allele Loss Analysis. Microsatellites used for allelic loss analysis were D9S109, DpS119, D9S127, D9S196, and D9S287 described in the CHLC human screening set (Research Genetics). A part of the ptc intron 1 sequence was tested for polymorphism in a control population and found to be polymorphic in 80% of the samples tested. This microsatellite was used for analysis of ptc gene allelic loss in bladder carcinomas. The primer sequences are as follows: forward primer, 5′-CTGAGCAGATTTCCCAGGTC-3′; and reverse primer, 5′-CCTCAGACAGACCTTTCCTC-3′. The PCR cycling for this newly isolated marker was 4 min. at 95 C, followed by 30 cycles of 40 s at 95 C, 2 min. at 60 C, and 1 min. at 72 C. PCR products were separated on 6% polyacrylamide gels and exposed to film.

[0159] Results and Discussion

[0160] Intronic boundaries were determined for 22 exons of ptc by sequencing vectorette PCR products derived from BAC 192J22 (Johnson R. L., supra; Table 1). Our findings are in agreement with those of Hahn et al. (supra), expect that we find exon 12 is composed of 2 separate exons of 126 and 119 nucleotides. This indicates that ptc is composed of 23 coding exons instead of 22. In addition, we find that exons 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 21, and 23 differ slightly in size than reported previously (Hahn et al., supra). Of 63 tumors studied, 14 were sporadic medulloblastomas, and 9 were sporadic meningiomas. These 23 tumors were examined for allelic deletions by genotyping of tumor and blood DNA with microsatellite markers that flank the ptc gene: D9S119, D9S196, D9S287, D9S127, and D9S109. Four of 14 medulloblastomas had LOH. Two of the medulloblastomas, both of which had LOH, had mutations (med34 and med36; see Cogen, P. H. et al., supra), which are predicted to result in truncated proteins (Table 2). DNA samples from the blood of these patients lack these mutations, indicating that they both are somatic mutations. med34 also has allelic loss on 17p (Cogen, P. H. et al., supra). We were unable to detect ptc gene mutations by heteroduplex analysis in the other two medulloblastomas bearing LOH on 9q. The pathological features of these two tumors differed in that med34 belongs to the desmoplastic subtype, whereas med36 is of the classic type, indicating that ptc mutations in medulloblastomas are not restricted to a specific subtype. TABLE 1 Primers AND boundary sequences of PTCH 5′ Boundary Nucleotide Position Exon size 3′ boundary Reading frame Primers 1 ND ND ND aagKTTGNAT ND 2 ND 202 193 aagGTAAGA 3 3 TGTCAG 395 190 cagGTAAGG 1  3F GAGTTGCAGTGATGTTCTNTTC  3R ACCGCCTTACCTGGTGCTC 4 TATTAg 585 70 cagGTATAT 2  4F TGCACTTAATTTTCTTATTACACTC  4R TAAGGCACACTACTGGGGTG 5 TGACAGg 655 92 cctGTAAGT 3  5F GAACACCCCAGTAGTGTGCC  5R TGAGTCCTAGAGAAGTCACAGACA 6 TTGCACg 747 199 aagGTGAGT 2  6F GGCTCTTTTCATGGTCTCGTC  6R TGTTTTGCTCTCCACCGTTC 7 TTTCAGC 945 122 cagGTAAGC 3  7F GCACTGGATTTTAACAAGGCATG  7R AGGGCATAGATTGTCCTCGG 8 CTGCAGg 1668 148 gagGTAAAC 2  8F TGGGAATACTGATGATGTGCC  8R CATAACCACCGATTCTGCAC 9 CCACAGg 1216 132 aagGTAACG 3  9F CATTTGGGCATTTCGCATTC  9R ACCAAACCAAACTCCAGCCC 10 TTGCAGg 1348 156 cagGTACTA 3 10F TGCCCCCATTGTTCTGCTTG 10R GGACAGCAGATAAATGGCTCC 11 CTGTAGg 1594 99 gagGTAATG 3 11F GCATCTCGATGTCTAATGCCAC 11R AAGCTGTGATGTCCCCAAATG 12 TCCCAGg 1603 126 cagGTGAGC 3 12F GACCATGTCCAGTGCAGCTC 12R CGTTCAGGATCACCACAGCC 13 TCCCAGg 1739 119 aagGTACAT 3 13F AGTCCTCTGATTGGGCGGAG 13R CCATTCTGGACCCAATCAAAAC 14 TTTCAGg 1843 403 aagGTAATC 2 14F AAAATGGCAGAATGAAAGCACC 14R CTGATGAACTCCAAAGCTTCTG 15 TTCCAGg 2251 310 aagGTAAGA 3 15F GGAAGAGTCAGTCGTGCTCC 15R CGCCAAAGACCGAAAGGAC 16 TCCTAGg 2561 143 cagGTACTC 1 16F AGGGTCCTTCTGGCTGCGAG 16R GCTGTCAAGCAGCCTCCAC 17 TTGTAGg 2704 184 gaaGTAAGT 3 17F GCTCTCAAGGCAGAAGTCTG 17R GGAAGGCACCTCTCTAAGTAC 18 GTCCAGg 2858 281 gttGTGAGT 1 18F GCTCCTAACCTGTGCCCTTC 18R GAATTGACTTCCACAAAGCCC 19 CTCCAGg 3159 138 ttgGTATGG 3 19F CGCCCACTGACCACTGTGTG 19R CAGCCAGAGGAAATGGGTTTG 20 GCACAGg 3307 143 cagGTAAGC 3 20F AGCATTTACCAGGTGAAGTCC 20R TTGCACACGCCTGCTTAC 21 TCCCAGg 3450 100 gagGTTCAGT 2 21F TGTTCCCCTTTCCTCTTG 21R GCACAGGAAACACACCATTC 22 AAATAGg 3550 255 actGTAAGT 3 22F GCAGGTAAATGGACAAGAACAC 22R ACTACCACGGTGGGAAGACC 23 CTGCAGg 3805 341 gagGTGAGT 3 23F CCCTTCTAACCCACCCTCAC 23R GACACATCAGCCTTGCTC 24 ND 4346 ND ND

[0161] One report (Schofield, D. et at., supra) has shown that five medulloblastomas (two BCNS-associated cases and three sporadic cases) bearing LOH on chromosome 9q22.3-q31 are all of the desmoplastic subtype, suggesting LOH on 9q22.3 is histological subtype specific. We feel that the conclusion derived from only five positive tumors is a not strong one because we and others (Raffel, C. et al. (1997) Cancer Res 57:842-845) have found nondesmoplastic subtypes of medulloblastomas bearing LOH on chromosome 9q22.3. Independently, another group has reported their finding of ptc mutations in sporadic medulloblastomas (Raffel, C. et al, supra).

[0162] A change of T to C at nucleotide 2990 (in exon 18) was identified in DNA from one of nine sporadic meningiomas, causing a predicted change of codon 997 from Ile to Thr (Table 2). The meningioma bearing this mutation also has allelic loss on 9q22.3 Blood cell DNA is heterozygous for this mutation, but DNA from the tumor contains only the mutant sequence. Of 100 normal chromosomes examined, none has this sequence change, suggesting that this mutation is not likely a common polymorphism. This patient is 84 years old and has had no phenotypic abnormalities suggestive of the BCNS, suggesting that this sequence alteration may not have caused complete inactivation of the ptc gene. None of the other eight meningiomas had detectable LOH at chromosome 9q. TABLE 2 PATCHED gene alterations^(a) Tumor Pathology Nucleotide Codon Exon Consequence LOH Mutation Type Med34 Medulloblastoma TC1869A 623 14 Frameshift Yes Somatic (desmoplastic) Med36 Medulloblastoma (classic) G2503T 835 15 Glu to STOP Yes Somatic Men1 Meningioma T2999C 997 18 Ile to Thr Yes Germ-line Br349 Breast carcinoma T2863C 955 17 Tyr to His Yes Somatic Br321 Breast carcinoma A2975G 995 18 Glu to Gly No Somatic Co320 COlon tumor cell line A2000C 667 14 Glu to Ala No Unknown Co8-1 Colon carcinoma T to C Introl 10 Polymorphism No Germ-line CO15-1 Colon carcinoma T to C Introl 10 Polymorphism No Germ-like

[0163] We also examined a variety of other tumors (10 primary tumors and 1 cell line), 18 bladder tumors (14 primary tumors and 4 cell lines), and 2 ovarian cancer cell lines. These tumors are not known to occur in higher than expected frequency in BCNS patients. We identified sequence abnormalities in two breast carcinomas and in the one colon cancer cell line (Table 2). The mutation found in breast carcinoma Br349 is not present in the patient's normal skin DNA, indicating that the sequence change is a somatic mutation. Direct sequencing of the PCR product indicated that only the mutant allele is present in the tumor. This mutation changes codon 955 from Tyr to His, and this Tyr is conserved in human, murine, chicken, and fly ptcII homologues (Goodrich, L. V. et al. (1996) Genes Dev 10:301-312). The mutation in breast carcinoma Br321 is predicted to change codon 995 from Glu to Gly, and the tumor with this mutation retains the wild-type allele. We have sequenced exon 18 in DNA from the blood of 50 normal person s and found no changes from the published sequence, suggesting that the sequence change found in Br321 is not a common polymorphism. Furthermore, examination of the DNA from the cultured skin fibroblasts of the patient did not reveal the same mutation, indicating that this is a somatic mutation.

[0164] Because DNA is not available from normal cells of the patient from which colon cell line 320 was established, we used simplified amplification of specific allele analysis (Lei, X. and Hall, B. G., supra) to examine 50 normal blood DNA samples for the presence of the sequence alteration and found none but the DNA from this cell line to have the mutant allele, suggesting that this mutation also is unlikely to be a common sequence polymorphism. For bladder carcinomas, a newly isolated microsatellite that was derived from intron 1 of the ptc gene was used to examine LOH in the tumor. Three primary bladder carcinomas showed LOH at this intragenic locus. With no ptc mutations detected in these tumors, we suspect that the LOH in these three bladder carcinomas may reflect the high incidence of while chromosome 9 loss in bladder cancers (Sidransky, D. et al., supra). A similar observation has been reported previously (Simoneau, A. R. et al. (1996) Cancer Res 56:5039-5043).

[0165] We also detected a sequence change in intron 10 in two colon carcinomas, 15-1 and 8-1, an alteration that was reported previously as a splicing mutation (Unden, A. B. et al. (1996) Cancer Res 56:4562-4565). Because we found the same sequence change in about 20% of normal control samples, we suggest that this more likely is a nonpathogenic polymorphism. The ptc protein is predicted to contain 12 transmembrane domains, two large extracellular loops, and one intracellular loop (Goodrich. L. V. et al., supra). Of the six mutations we identified, four are missense mutations. Three mutations lead to amino acid substitutions in the second, extracellular loop, and one mutation results in an amino acid change in the intracellular domain.

[0166] Our data indicate that somatic inactivation of the ptc gene does occur in some sporadic medulloblastomas. In addition, because missense mutations of the ptc gene were detected in breast carcinomas, we suspect that defects of the ptc function also may be involved in some breast carcinomas, although biochemical evidence is necessary to show how these missense mutations might impair ptc function. Of 11 colon cancers and 18 bladder carcinomas examined, we found only one mutation in 1 colon cell line, suggesting that ptc gene mutations are relatively uncommon in don and bladder cancers, although the incidence of chromosome 9 loss in bladder cancers is high (Cairns, P. et al., supra).

[0167] Published reports of SSCP analysis of tumor DNA identified mutations in the ptc gene in only 30% of sporadic BCCs, although chromosome 9q22.3 LOH was reported in more than 50% of these tumors (Gallani, M. R. et al., supra). It has been reported that heteroduplex/SSCP analysis of gene mutations is more sensitive than SSCP analysis (Spritz, R. A. et al., supra). In our studies, we were able to identify a point mutation in the 310-bp-PCR product from exon 15 using heteroduplex analysis, whereas SSCP analysis failed to reveal this sequence change (Table 2). Therefore, we suspect that there may be more mutations in BCCs than we have found thus far. Analysis of the ptc gene in BCNS patients and in sporadic BCCs has identified mutations scattered widely across the gene, and the majority of mutations were predicted to result in truncated proteins (Hahn, H. et al., supra; Johnson, R. L. et al., supra; Gallani, M. R. et al., supra; Chidambaram, A. et al., supra; Unden, A. B. et al., supra; Wicking, C. et al. (1997) Am J Hum Genet 60:21-26). In our screening, we found two breast carcinomas bearing missense mutations of the ptc gene. In one of these two tumors, B349, direct sequencing indicated a deletion of the other copy of the ptc gene. Any comparison of mutations in skin cancers versus extracutaneous tumors must consider the wholly different causes of these mutations; UV light is unique to the skin.

[0168] All publications and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication or patent o application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

[0169] Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the teachings of this invention that certain changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.

1 19 736 base pairs nucleic acid single linear DNA (genomic) 1 AACNNCNNTN NATGGCACCC CCNCCCAACC TTTNNNCCNN NTAANCAAAA NNCCCCNTTT 60 NATACCCCCT NTAANANTTT TCCACCNNNC NNAAANNCCN CTGNANACNA NGNAAANCCN 120 TTTTTNAACC CCCCCCACCC GGAATTCCNA NTNNCCNCCC CCAAATTACA ACTCCAGNCC 180 AAAATTNANA NAATTGGTCC TAACCTAACC NATNGTTGTT ACGGTTTCCC CCCCCAAATA 240 CATGCACTGG CCCGAACACT TGATCGTTGC CGTTCCAATA AGAATAAATC TGGTCATATT 300 AAACAAGCCN AAAGCTTTAC AAACTGTTGT ACAATTAATG GGCGAACACG AACTGTTCGA 360 ATTCTGGTCT GGACATTACA AAGTGCACCA CATCGGATGG AACCAGGAGA AGGCCACAAC 420 CGTACTGAAC GCCTGGCAGA AGAAGTTCGC ACAGGTTGGT GGTTGGCGCA AGGAGTAGAG 480 TGAATGGTGG TAATTTTTGG TTGTTCCAGG AGGTGGATCG TCTGACGAAG AGCAAGAAGT 540 CGTCGAATTA CATCTTCGTG ACGTTCTCCA CCGCCAATTT GAACAAGATG TTGAAGGAGG 600 CGTCGAANAC GGACGTGGTG AAGCTGGGGG TGGTGCTGGG GGTGGCGGCG GTGTACGGGT 660 GGGTGGCCCA GTCGGGGCTG GCTGCCTTGG GAGTGCTGGT CTTNGCGNGC TNCNATTCGC 720 CCTATAGTNA GNCGTA 736 107 amino acids amino acid single linear protein 2 Xaa Pro Pro Pro Asn Tyr Asn Ser Xaa Pro Lys Xaa Xaa Xaa Leu Val 1 5 10 15 Leu Thr Pro Xaa Val Val Thr Val Ser Pro Pro Lys Tyr Met His Trp 20 25 30 Pro Glu His Leu Ile Val Ala Val Pro Ile Arg Ile Asn Leu Val Ile 35 40 45 Leu Asn Lys Pro Lys Ala Leu Gln Thr Val Val Gln Leu Met Gly Glu 50 55 60 His Glu Leu Phe Glu Phe Trp Ser Gly His Tyr Lys Val His His Ile 65 70 75 80 Gly Trp Asn Gln Glu Lys Ala Thr Thr Val Leu Asn Ala Trp Gln Lys 85 90 95 Lys Phe Ala Gln Val Gly Gly Trp Arg Lys Glu 100 105 5187 base pairs nucleic acid single linear cDNA 3 GGGTCTGTCA CCCGGAGCCG GAGTCCCCGG CGGCCAGCAG CGTCCTCGCG AGCCGAGCGC 60 CCAGGCGCGC CCGGAGCCCG CGGCGGCGGC GGCAACATGG CCTCGGCTGG TAACGCCGCC 120 GGGGCCCTGG GCAGGCAGGC CGGCGGCGGG AGGCGCAGAC GGACCGGGGG ACCGCACCGC 180 GCCGCGCCGG ACCGGGACTA TCTGCACCGG CCCAGCTACT GCGACGCCGC CTTCGCTCTG 240 GAGCAGATTT CCAAGGGGAA GGCTACTGGC CGGAAAGCGC CGCTGTGGCT GAGAGCGAAG 300 TTTCAGAGAC TCTTATTTAA ACTGGGTTGT TACATTCAAA AGAACTGCGG CAAGTTTTTG 360 GTTGTGGGTC TCCTCATATT TGGGGCCTTC GCTGTGGGAT TAAAGGCAGC TAATCTCGAG 420 ACCAACGTGG AGGAGCTGTG GGTGGAAGTT GGTGGACGAG TGAGTCGAGA ATTAAATTAT 480 ACCCGTCAGA AGATAGGAGA AGAGGCTATG TTTAATCCTC AACTCATGAT ACAGACTCCA 540 AAAGAAGAAG GCGCTAATGT TCTGACCACA GAGGCTCTCC TGCAACACCT GGACTCAGCA 600 CTCCAGGCCA GTCGTGTGCA CGTCTACATG TATAACAGGC AATGGAAGTT GGAACATTTG 660 TGCTACAAAT CAGGGGAACT TATCACGGAG ACAGGTTACA TGGATCAGAT AATAGAATAC 720 CTTTACCCTT GCTTAATCAT TACACCTTTG GACTGCTTCT GGGAAGGGGC AAAGCTACAG 780 TCCGGGACAG CATACCTCCT AGGTAAGCCT CCTTTACGGT GGACAAACTT TGACCCCTTG 840 GAATTCCTAG AAGAGTTAAA GAAAATAAAC TACCAAGTGG ACAGCTGGGA GGAAATGCTG 900 AATAAAGCCG AAGTTGGCCA TGGGTACATG GACCGGCCTT GCCTCAACCC AGCCGACCCA 960 GATTGCCCTG CCACAGCCCC TAACAAAAAT TCAACCAAAC CTCTTGATGT GGCCCTTGTT 1020 TTGAATGGTG GATGTCAAGG TTTATCCAGG AAGTATATGC ATTGGCAGGA GGAGTTGATT 1080 GTGGGTGGTA CCGTCAAGAA TGCCACTGGA AAACTTGTCA GCGCTCACGC CCTGCAAACC 1140 ATGTTCCAGT TAATGACTCC CAAGCAAATG TATGAACACT TCAGGGGCTA CGACTATGTC 1200 TCTCACATCA ACTGGAATGA AGACAGGGCA GCCGCCATCC TGGAGGCCTG GCAGAGGACT 1260 TACGTGGAGG TGGTTCATCA AAGTGTCGCC CCAAACTCCA CTCAAAAGGT GCTTCCCTTC 1320 ACAACCACGA CCCTGGACGA CATCCTAAAA TCCTTCTCTG ATGTCAGTGT CATCCGAGTG 1380 GCCAGCGGCT ACCTACTGAT GCTTGCCTAT GCCTGTTTAA CCATGCTGCG CTGGGACTGC 1440 TCCAAGTCCC AGGGTGCCGT GGGGCTGGCT GGCGTCCTGT TGGTTGCGCT GTCAGTGGCT 1500 GCAGGATTGG GCCTCTGCTC CTTGATTGGC ATTTCTTTTA ATGCTGCGAC AACTCAGGTT 1560 TTGCCGTTTC TTGCTCTTGG TGTTGGTGTG GATGATGTCT TCCTCCTGGC CCATGCATTC 1620 AGTGAAACAG GACAGAATAA GAGGATTCCA TTTGAGGACA GGACTGGGGA GTGCCTCAAG 1680 CGCACCGGAG CCAGCGTGGC CCTCACCTCC ATCAGCAATG TCACCGCCTT CTTCATGGCC 1740 GCATTGATCC CTATCCCTGC CCTGCGAGCG TTCTCCCTCC AGGCTGCTGT GGTGGTGGTA 1800 TTCAATTTTG CTATGGTTCT GCTCATTTTT CCTGCAATTC TCAGCATGGA TTTATACAGA 1860 CGTGAGGACA GAAGATTGGA TATTTTCTGC TGTTTCACAA GCCCCTGTGT CAGCAGGGTG 1920 ATTCAAGTTG AGCCACAGGC CTACACAGAG CCTCACAGTA ACACCCGGTA CAGCCCCCCA 1980 CCCCCATACA CCAGCCACAG CTTCGCCCAC GAAACCCATA TCACTATGCA GTCCACCGTT 2040 CAGCTCCGCA CAGAGTATGA CCCTCACACG CACGTGTACT ACACCACCGC CGAGCCACGC 2100 TCTGAGATCT CTGTACAGCC TGTTACCGTC ACCCAGGACA ACCTCAGCTG TCAGAGTCCC 2160 GAGAGCACCA GCTCTACCAG GGACCTGCTC TCCCAGTTCT CAGACTCCAG CCTCCACTGC 2220 CTCGAGCCCC CCTGCACCAA GTGGACACTC TCTTCGTTTG CAGAGAAGCA CTATGCTCCT 2280 TTCCTCCTGA AACCCAAAGC CAAGGTTGTG GTAATCCTTC TTTTCCTGGG CTTGCTGGGG 2340 GTCAGCCTTT ATGGGACCAC CCGAGTGAGA GACGGGCTGG ACCTCACGGA CATTGTTCCC 2400 CGGGAAACCA GAGAATATGA CTTCATAGCT GCCCAGTTCA AGTACTTCTC TTTCTACAAC 2460 ATGTATATAG TCACCCAGAA AGCAGACTAC CCGAATATCC AGCACCTACT TTACGACCTT 2520 CATAAGAGTT TCAGCAATGT GAAGTATGTC ATGCTGGAGG AGAACAAGCA ACTTCCCCAA 2580 ATGTGGCTGC ACTACTTTAG AGACTGGCTT CAAGGACTTC AGGATGCATT TGACAGTGAC 2640 TGGGAAACTG GGAGGATCAT GCCAAACAAT TATAAAAATG GATCAGATGA CGGGGTCCTC 2700 GCTTACAAAC TCCTGGTGCA GACTGGCAGC CGAGACAAGC CCATCGACAT TAGTCAGTTG 2760 ACTAAACAGC GTCTGGTAGA CGCAGATGGC ATCATTAATC CGAGCGCTTT CTACATCTAC 2820 CTGACCGCTT GGGTCAGCAA CGACCCTGTA GCTTACGCTG CCTCCCAGGC CAACATCCGG 2880 CCTCACCGGC CGGAGTGGGT CCATGACAAA GCCGACTACA TGCCAGAGAC CAGGCTGAGA 2940 ATCCCAGCAG CAGAGCCCAT CGAGTACGCT CAGTTCCCTT TCTACCTCAA CGGCCTACGA 3000 GACACCTCAG ACTTTGTGGA AGCCATAGAA AAAGTGAGAG TCATCTGTAA CAACTATACG 3060 AGCCTGGGAC TGTCCAGCTA CCCCAATGGC TACCCCTTCC TGTTCTGGGA GCAATACATC 3120 AGCCTGCGCC ACTGGCTGCT GCTATCCATC AGCGTGGTGC TGGCCTGCAC GTTTCTAGTG 3180 TGCGCAGTCT TCCTCCTGAA CCCCTGGACG GCCGGGATCA TTGTCATGGT CCTGGCTCTG 3240 ATGACCGTTG AGCTCTTTGG CATGATGGGC CTCATTGGGA TCAAGCTGAG TGCTGTGCCT 3300 GTGGTCATCC TGATTGCATC TGTTGGCATC GGAGTGGAGT TCACCGTCCA CGTGGCTTTG 3360 GCCTTTCTGA CAGCCATTGG GGACAAGAAC CACAGGGCTA TGCTCGCTCT GGAACACATG 3420 TTTGCTCCCG TTCTGGACGG TGCTGTGTCC ACTCTGCTGG GTGTACTGAT GCTTGCAGGG 3480 TCCGAATTTG ATTTCATTGT CAGATACTTC TTTGCCGTCC TGGCCATTCT CACCGTCTTG 3540 GGGGTTCTCA ATGGACTGGT TCTGCTGCCT GTCCTCTTAT CCTTCTTTGG ACCGTGTCCT 3600 GAGGTGTCTC CAGCCAATGG CCTAAACCGA CTGCCCACTC CTTCGCCTGA GCCGCCTCCA 3660 AGTGTCGTCC GGTTTGCCGT GCCTCCTGGT CACACGAACA ATGGGTCTGA TTCCTCCGAC 3720 TCGGAGTACA GCTCTCAGAC CACGGTGTCT GGCATCAGTG AGGAGCTCAG GCAATACGAA 3780 GCACAGCAGG GTGCCGGAGG CCCTGCCCAC CAAGTGATTG TGGAAGCCAC AGAAAACCCT 3840 GTCTTTGCCC GGTCCACTGT GGTCCATCCG GACTCCAGAC ATCAGCCTCC CTTGACCCCT 3900 CGGCAACAGC CCCACCTGGA CTCTGGCTCC TTGTCCCCTG GACGGCAAGG CCAGCAGCCT 3960 CGAAGGGATC CCCCTAGAGA AGGCTTGCGG CCACCCCCCT ACAGACCGCG CAGAGACGCT 4020 TTTGAAATTT CTACTGAAGG GCATTCTGGC CCTAGCAATA GGGACCGCTC AGGGCCCCGT 4080 GGGGCCCGTT CTCACAACCC TCGGAACCCA ACGTCCACCG CCATGGGCAG CTCTGTGCCC 4140 AGCTACTGCC AGCCCATCAC CACTGTGACG GCTTCTGCTT CGGTGACTGT TGCTGTGCAT 4200 CCCCCGCCTG GACCTGGGCG CAACCCCCGA GGGGGGCCCT GTCCAGGCTA TGAGAGCTAC 4260 CCTGAGACTG ATCACGGGGT ATTTGAGGAT CCTCATGTGC CTTTTCATGT CAGGTGTGAG 4320 AGGAGGGACT CAAAGGTGGA GGTCATAGAG CTACAGGACG TGGAATGTGA GGAGAGGCCG 4380 TGGGGGAGCA GCTCCAACTG AGGGTAATTA AAATCTGAAG CAAAGAGGCC AAAGATTGGA 4440 AAGCCCCGCC CCCACCTCTT TCCAGAACTG CTTGAAGAGA ACTGCTTGGA ATTATGGGAA 4500 GGCAGTTCAT TGTTACTGTA ACTGATTGTA TTATTKKGTG AAATATTTCT ATAAATATTT 4560 AARAGGTGTA CACATGTAAT ATACATGGAA ATGCTGTACA GTCTATTTCC TGGGGCCTCT 4620 CCACTCCTGC CCCAGAGTGG GGAGACCACA GGGGCCCTTT CCCCTGTGTA CATTGGTCTC 4680 TGTGCCACAA CCAAGCTTAA CTTAGTTTTA AAAAAAATCT CCCAGCATAT GTCGCTGCTG 4740 CTTAAATATT GTATAATTTA CTTGTATAAT TCTATGCAAA TATTGCTTAT GTAATAGGAT 4800 TATTTGTAAA GGTTTCTGTT TAAAATATTT TAAATTTGCA TATCACAACC CTGTGGTAGG 4860 ATGAATTGTT ACTGTTAACT TTTGAACACG CTATGCGTGG TAATTGTTTA ACGAGCAGAC 4920 ATGAAGAAAA CAGGTTAATC CCAGTGGCTT CTCTAGGGGT AGTTGTATAT GGTTCGCATG 4980 GGTGGATGTG TGTGTGCATG TGACTTTCCA ATGTACTGTA TTGTGGTTTG TTGTTGTTGT 5040 TGCTGTTGTT GTTCATTTTG GTGTTTTTGG TTGCTTTGTA TGATCTTAGC TCTGGCCTAG 5100 GTGGGCTGGG AAGGTCCAGG TCTTTTTCTG TCGTGATGCT GGTGGAAAGG TGACCCCAAT 5160 CATCTGTCCT ATTCTCTGGG ACTATTC 5187 1311 amino acids amino acid single linear protein 4 Met Val Ala Pro Asp Ser Glu Ala Pro Ser Asn Pro Arg Ile Thr Ala 1 5 10 15 Ala His Glu Ser Pro Cys Ala Thr Glu Ala Arg His Ser Ala Asp Leu 20 25 30 Tyr Ile Arg Thr Ser Trp Val Asp Ala Ala Leu Ala Leu Ser Glu Leu 35 40 45 Glu Lys Gly Asn Ile Glu Gly Gly Arg Thr Ser Leu Trp Ile Arg Ala 50 55 60 Trp Leu Gln Glu Gln Leu Phe Ile Leu Gly Cys Phe Leu Gln Gly Asp 65 70 75 80 Ala Gly Lys Val Leu Phe Val Ala Ile Leu Val Leu Ser Thr Phe Cys 85 90 95 Val Gly Leu Lys Ser Ala Gln Ile His Thr Arg Val Asp Gln Leu Trp 100 105 110 Val Gln Glu Gly Gly Arg Leu Glu Ala Glu Leu Lys Tyr Thr Ala Gln 115 120 125 Ala Leu Gly Glu Ala Asp Ser Ser Thr His Gln Leu Val Ile Gln Thr 130 135 140 Ala Lys Asp Pro Asp Val Ser Leu Leu His Pro Gly Ala Leu Leu Glu 145 150 155 160 His Leu Lys Val Val His Ala Ala Thr Arg Val Thr Val His Met Tyr 165 170 175 Asp Ile Glu Trp Arg Leu Lys Asp Leu Cys Tyr Ser Pro Ser Ile Pro 180 185 190 Asp Phe Glu Gly Tyr His His Ile Glu Ser Ile Ile Asp Asn Val Ile 195 200 205 Pro Cys Ala Ile Ile Thr Pro Leu Asp Cys Phe Trp Glu Gly Ser Lys 210 215 220 Leu Leu Gly Pro Asp Tyr Pro Ile Tyr Val Pro His Leu Lys His Lys 225 230 235 240 Leu Gln Trp Thr His Leu Asn Pro Leu Glu Val Val Glu Glu Val Lys 245 250 255 Lys Leu Lys Phe Gln Phe Pro Leu Ser Thr Ile Glu Ala Tyr Met Lys 260 265 270 Arg Ala Gly Ile Thr Ser Ala Tyr Met Lys Lys Pro Cys Leu Asp Pro 275 280 285 Thr Asp Pro His Cys Pro Ala Thr Ala Pro Asn Lys Lys Ser Gly His 290 295 300 Ile Pro Asp Val Ala Ala Glu Leu Ser His Gly Cys Tyr Gly Phe Ala 305 310 315 320 Ala Ala Tyr Met His Trp Pro Glu Gln Leu Ile Val Gly Gly Ala Thr 325 330 335 Arg Asn Ser Thr Ser Ala Leu Arg Lys Ala Arg Xaa Leu Gln Thr Val 340 345 350 Val Gln Leu Met Gly Glu Arg Glu Met Tyr Glu Tyr Trp Ala Asp His 355 360 365 Tyr Lys Val His Gln Ile Gly Trp Asn Gln Glu Lys Ala Ala Ala Val 370 375 380 Leu Asp Ala Trp Gln Arg Lys Phe Ala Ala Glu Val Arg Lys Ile Thr 385 390 395 400 Thr Ser Gly Ser Val Ser Ser Ala Tyr Ser Phe Tyr Pro Phe Ser Thr 405 410 415 Ser Thr Leu Asn Asp Ile Leu Gly Lys Phe Ser Glu Val Ser Leu Lys 420 425 430 Asn Ile Ile Leu Gly Tyr Met Phe Met Leu Ile Tyr Val Ala Val Thr 435 440 445 Leu Ile Gln Trp Arg Asp Pro Ile Arg Ser Gln Ala Gly Val Gly Ile 450 455 460 Ala Gly Val Leu Leu Leu Ser Ile Thr Val Ala Ala Gly Leu Gly Phe 465 470 475 480 Cys Ala Leu Leu Gly Ile Pro Phe Asn Ala Ser Ser Thr Gln Ile Val 485 490 495 Pro Phe Leu Ala Leu Gly Leu Gly Val Gln Asp Met Phe Leu Leu Thr 500 505 510 His Thr Tyr Val Glu Gln Ala Gly Asp Val Pro Arg Glu Glu Arg Thr 515 520 525 Gly Leu Val Leu Lys Lys Ser Gly Leu Ser Val Leu Leu Ala Ser Leu 530 535 540 Cys Asn Val Met Ala Phe Leu Ala Ala Ala Leu Leu Pro Ile Pro Ala 545 550 555 560 Phe Arg Val Phe Cys Leu Gln Ala Ala Ile Leu Leu Leu Phe Asn Leu 565 570 575 Gly Ser Ile Leu Leu Val Phe Pro Ala Met Ile Ser Leu Asp Leu Arg 580 585 590 Arg Arg Ser Ala Ala Arg Ala Asp Leu Leu Cys Cys Leu Met Pro Glu 595 600 605 Ser Pro Leu Pro Lys Lys Lys Ile Pro Glu Arg Ala Lys Thr Arg Lys 610 615 620 Asn Asp Lys Thr His Arg Ile Asp Thr Thr Arg Gln Pro Leu Asp Pro 625 630 635 640 Asp Val Ser Glu Asn Val Thr Lys Thr Cys Cys Leu Ser Val Ser Leu 645 650 655 Thr Lys Trp Ala Lys Asn Gln Tyr Ala Pro Phe Ile Met Arg Pro Ala 660 665 670 Val Lys Val Thr Ser Met Leu Ala Leu Ile Ala Val Ile Leu Thr Ser 675 680 685 Val Trp Gly Ala Thr Lys Val Lys Asp Gly Leu Asp Leu Thr Asp Ile 690 695 700 Val Pro Glu Asn Thr Asp Glu His Glu Phe Leu Ser Arg Gln Glu Lys 705 710 715 720 Tyr Phe Gly Phe Tyr Asn Met Tyr Ala Val Thr Gln Gly Asn Phe Glu 725 730 735 Tyr Pro Thr Asn Gln Lys Leu Leu Tyr Glu Tyr His Asp Gln Phe Val 740 745 750 Arg Ile Pro Asn Ile Ile Lys Asn Asp Asn Gly Gly Leu Thr Lys Phe 755 760 765 Trp Leu Ser Leu Phe Arg Asp Trp Leu Leu Asp Leu Gln Val Ala Phe 770 775 780 Asp Lys Glu Val Ala Ser Gly Cys Ile Thr Gln Glu Tyr Trp Cys Lys 785 790 795 800 Asn Ala Ser Asp Glu Gly Ile Leu Ala Tyr Lys Leu Met Val Gln Thr 805 810 815 Gly His Val Asp Asn Pro Ile Asp Lys Ser Leu Ile Thr Ala Gly His 820 825 830 Arg Leu Val Asp Lys Asp Gly Ile Ile Asn Pro Lys Ala Phe Tyr Asn 835 840 845 Tyr Leu Ser Ala Trp Ala Thr Asn Asp Ala Leu Ala Tyr Gly Ala Ser 850 855 860 Gln Gly Asn Leu Lys Pro Gln Pro Gln Arg Trp Ile His Ser Pro Glu 865 870 875 880 Asp Val His Leu Glu Ile Lys Lys Ser Ser Pro Leu Ile Tyr Thr Gln 885 890 895 Leu Pro Phe Tyr Leu Ser Gly Leu Ser Asp Thr Xaa Ser Ile Lys Thr 900 905 910 Leu Ile Arg Ser Val Arg Asp Leu Cys Leu Lys Tyr Glu Ala Lys Gly 915 920 925 Leu Pro Asn Phe Pro Ser Gly Ile Pro Phe Leu Phe Trp Glu Gln Tyr 930 935 940 Leu Tyr Leu Arg Thr Ser Leu Leu Leu Ala Leu Ala Cys Ala Leu Ala 945 950 955 960 Ala Val Phe Ile Ala Val Met Val Leu Leu Leu Asn Ala Trp Ala Ala 965 970 975 Val Leu Val Thr Leu Ala Leu Ala Thr Leu Val Leu Gln Leu Leu Gly 980 985 990 Val Met Ala Leu Leu Gly Val Lys Leu Ser Ala Met Pro Ala Val Leu 995 1000 1005 Leu Val Leu Ala Ile Gly Arg Gly Val His Phe Thr Val His Leu Cys 1010 1015 1020 Leu Gly Phe Val Thr Ser Ile Gly Cys Lys Arg Arg Arg Ala Ser Leu 1025 1030 1035 1040 Ala Leu Glu Ser Val Leu Ala Pro Val Val His Gly Ala Leu Ala Ala 1045 1050 1055 Ala Leu Ala Ala Ser Met Leu Ala Ala Ser Glu Cys Gly Phe Val Ala 1060 1065 1070 Arg Leu Phe Leu Arg Leu Leu Leu Asp Ile Val Phe Leu Gly Leu Ile 1075 1080 1085 Asp Gly Leu Leu Phe Phe Pro Ile Val Leu Ser Ile Leu Gly Pro Ala 1090 1095 1100 Ala Glu Val Arg Pro Ile Glu His Pro Glu Arg Leu Ser Thr Pro Ser 1105 1110 1115 1120 Pro Lys Cys Ser Pro Ile His Pro Arg Lys Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Gly 1125 1130 1135 Gly Gly Asp Lys Ser Ser Arg Thr Ser Lys Ser Ala Pro Arg Pro Cys 1140 1145 1150 Ala Pro Ser Leu Thr Thr Ile Thr Glu Glu Pro Ser Ser Trp His Ser 1155 1160 1165 Ser Ala His Ser Val Gln Ser Ser Met Gln Ser Ile Val Val Gln Pro 1170 1175 1180 Glu Val Val Val Glu Thr Thr Thr Tyr Asn Gly Ser Asp Ser Ala Ser 1185 1190 1195 1200 Gly Arg Ser Thr Pro Thr Lys Ser Ser His Gly Gly Ala Ile Thr Thr 1205 1210 1215 Thr Lys Val Thr Ala Thr Ala Asn Ile Lys Val Glu Val Val Thr Pro 1220 1225 1230 Ser Asp Arg Lys Ser Arg Arg Ser Tyr His Tyr Tyr Asp Arg Arg Arg 1235 1240 1245 Asp Arg Asp Glu Asp Arg Asp Arg Asp Arg Glu Arg Asp Arg Asp Arg 1250 1255 1260 Asp Arg Asp Arg Asp Arg Asp Arg Asp Arg Asp Arg Asp Arg Asp Arg 1265 1270 1275 1280 Glu Arg Ser Arg Glu Arg Asp Arg Arg Asp Arg Tyr Arg Asp Glu Arg 1285 1290 1295 Asp His Arg Ala Ser Pro Arg Glu Lys Arg Gln Arg Phe Trp Thr 1300 1305 1310 4434 base pairs nucleic acid single linear cDNA 5 CGAAACAAGA GAGCGAGTGA GAGTAGGGAG AGCGTCTGTG TTGTGTGTTG AGTGTCGCCC 60 ACGCACACAG GCGCAAAACA GTGCACACAG ACGCCCGCTG GGCAAGAGAG AGTGAGAGAG 120 AGAAACAGCG GCGCGCGCTC GCCTAATGAA GTTGTTGGCC TGGCTGGCGT GCCGCATCCA 180 CGAGATACAG ATACATCTCT CATGGACCGC GACAGCCTCC CACGCGTTCC GGACACACAC 240 GGCGATGTGG TCGATGAGAA ATTATTCTCG GATCTTTACA TACGCACCAG CTGGGTGGAC 300 GCCCAAGTGG CGCTCGATCA GATAGATAAG GGCAAAGCGC GTGGCAGCCG CACGGCGATC 360 TATCTGCGAT CAGTATTCCA GTCCCACCTC GAAACCCTCG GCAGCTCCGT GCAAAAGCAC 420 GCGGGCAAGG TGCTATTCGT GGCTATCCTG GTGCTGAGCA CCTTCTGCGT CGGCCTGAAG 480 AGCGCCCAGA TCCACTCCAA GGTGCACCAG CTGTGGATCC AGGAGGGCGG CCGGCTGGAG 540 GCGGAACTGG CCTACACACA GAAGACGATC GGCGAGGACG AGTCGGCCAC GCATCAGCTG 600 CTCATTCAGA CGACCCACGA CCCGAACGCC TCCGTCCTGC ATCCGCAGGC GCTGCTTGCC 660 CACCTGGAGG TCCTGGTCAA GGCCACCGCC GTCAAGGTGC ACCTCTACGA CACCGAATGG 720 GGGCTGCGCG ACATGTGCAA CATGCCGAGC ACGCCCTCCT TCGAGGGCAT CTACTACATC 780 GAGCAGATCC TGCGCCACCT CATTCCGTGC TCGATCATCA CGCCGCTGGA CTGTTTCTGG 840 GAGGGAAGCC AGCTGTTGGG TCCGGAATCA GCGGTCGTTA TACCAGGCCT CAACCAACGA 900 CTCCTGTGGA CCACCCTGAA TCCCGCCTCT GTGATGCAGT ATATGAAACA AAAGATGTCC 960 GAGGAAAAGA TCAGCTTCGA CTTCGAGACC GTGGAGCAGT ACATGAAGCG TGCGGCCATT 1020 GGCAGTGGCT ACATGGAGAA GCCCTGCCTG AACCCACTGA ATCCCAATTG CCCGGACACG 1080 GCACCGAACA AGAACAGCAC CCAGCCGCCG GATGTGGGAG CCATCCTGTC CGGAGGCTGC 1140 TACGGTTATG CCGCGAAGCA CATGCACTGG CCGGAGGAGC TGATTGTGGG CGGACGGAAG 1200 AGGAACCGCA GCGGACACTT GAGGAAGGCC CAGGCCCTGC AGTCGGTGGT GCAGCTGATG 1260 ACCGAGAAGG AAATGTACGA CCAGTGGCAG GACAACTACA AGGTGCACCA TCTTGGATGG 1320 ACGCAGGAGA AGGCAGCGGA GGTTTTGAAC GCCTGGCAGC GCAACTTTTC GCGGGAGGTG 1380 GAACAGCTGC TACGTAAACA GTCGAGAATT GCCACCAACT ACGATATCTA CGTGTTCAGC 1440 TCGGCTGCAC TGGATGACAT CCTGGCCAAG TTCTCCCATC CCAGCGCCTT GTCCATTGTC 1500 ATCGGCGTGG CCGTCACCGT TTTGTATGCC TTTTGCACGC TCCTCCGCTG GAGGGACCCC 1560 GTCCGTGGCC AGAGCAGTGT GGGCGTGGCC GGAGTTCTGC TCATGTGCTT CAGTACCGCC 1620 GCCGGATTGG GATTGTCAGC CCTGCTCGGT ATCGTTTTCA ATGCGCTGAC CGCTGCCTAT 1680 GCGGAGAGCA ATCGGCGGGA GCAGACCAAG CTGATTCTCA AGAACGCCAG CACCCAGGTG 1740 GTTCCGTTTT TGGCCCTTGG TCTGGGCGTC GATCACATCT TCATAGTGGG ACCGAGCATC 1800 CTGTTCAGTG CCTGCAGCAC CGCAGGATCC TTCTTTGCGG CCGCCTTTAT TCCGGTGCCG 1860 GCTTTGAAGG TATTCTGTCT GCAGGCTGCC ATCGTAATGT GCTCCAATTT GGCAGCGGCT 1920 CTATTGGTTT TTCCGGCCAT GATTTCGTTG GATCTACGGA GACGTACCGC CGGCAGGGCG 1980 GACATCTTCT GCTGCTGTTT TCCGGTGTGG AAGGAACAGC CGAAGGTGGC ACCTCCGGTG 2040 CTGCCGCTGA ACAACAACAA CGGGCGCGGG GCCCGGCATC CGAAGAGCTG CAACAACAAC 2100 AGGGTGCCGC TGCCCGCCCA GAATCCTCTG CTGGAACAGA GGGCAGACAT CCCTGGGAGC 2160 AGTCACTCAC TGGCGTCCTT CTCCCTGGCA ACCTTCGCCT TTCAGCACTA CACTCCCTTC 2220 CTCATGCGCA GCTGGGTGAA GTTCCTGACC GTTATGGGTT TCCTGGCGGC CCTCATATCC 2280 AGCTTGTATG CCTCCACGCG CCTTCAGGAT GGCCTGGACA TTATTGATCT GGTGCCCAAG 2340 GACAGCAACG AGCACAAGTT CCTGGATGCT CAAACTCGGC TCTTTGGCTT CTACAGCATG 2400 TATGCGGTTA CCCAGGGCAA CTTTGAATAT CCCACCCAGC AGCAGTTGCT CAGGGACTAC 2460 CATGATTCCT TTGTGCGGGT GCCACATGTG ATCAAGAATG ATAACGGTGG ACTGCCGGAC 2520 TTCTGGCTGC TGCTCTTCAG CGAGTGGCTG GGTAATCTGC AAAAGATATT CGACGAGGAA 2580 TACCGCGACG GACGGCTGAC CAAGGAGTGC TGGTTCCCAA ACGCCAGCAG CGATGCCATC 2640 CTGGCCTACA AGCTAATCGT GCAAACCGGC CATGTGGACA ACCCCGTGGA CAAGGAACTG 2700 GTGCTCACCA ATCGCCTGGT CAACAGCGAT GGCATCATCA ACCAACGCGC CTTCTACAAC 2760 TATCTGTCGG CATGGGCCAC CAACGACGTC TTCGCCTACG GAGCTTCTCA GGGCAAATTG 2820 TATCCGGAAC CGCGCCAGTA TTTTCACCAA CCCAACGAGT ACGATCTTAA GATACCCAAG 2880 AGTCTGCCAT TGGTCTACGC TCAGATGCCC TTTTACCTCC ACGGACTAAC AGATACCTCG 2940 CAGATCAAGA CCCTGATAGG TCATATTCGC GACCTGAGCG TCAAGTACGA GGGCTTCGGC 3000 CTGCCCAACT ATCCATCGGG CATTCCCTTC ATCTTCTGGG AGCAGTACAT GACCCTGCGC 3060 TCCTCACTGG CCATGATCCT GGCCTGCGTG CTACTCGCCG CCCTGGTGCT GGTCTCCCTG 3120 CTCCTGCTCT CCGTTTGGGC CGCCGTTCTC GTGATCCTCA GCGTTCTGGC CTCGCTGGCC 3180 CAGATCTTTG GGGCCATGAC TCTGCTGGGC ATCAAACTCT CGGCCATTCC GGCAGTCATA 3240 CTCATCCTCA GCGTGGGCAT GATGCTGTGC TTCAATGTGC TGATATCACT GGGCTTCATG 3300 ACATCCGTTG GCAACCGACA GCGCCGCGTC CAGCTGAGCA TGCAGATGTC CCTGGGACCA 3360 CTTGTCCACG GCATGCTGAC CTCCGGAGTG GCCGTGTTCA TGCTCTCCAC GTCGCCCTTT 3420 GAGTTTGTGA TCCGGCACTT CTGCTGGCTT CTGCTGGTGG TCTTATGCGT TGGCGCCTGC 3480 AACAGCCTTT TGGTGTTCCC CATCCTACTG AGCATGGTGG GACCGGAGGC GGAGCTGGTG 3540 CCGCTGGAGC ATCCAGACCG CATATCCACG CCCTCTCCGC TGCCCGTGCG CAGCAGCAAG 3600 AGATCGGGCA AATCCTATGT GGTGCAGGGA TCGCGATCCT CGCGAGGCAG CTGCCAGAAG 3660 TCGCATCACC ACCACCACAA AGACCTTAAT GATCCATCGC TGACGACGAT CACCGAGGAG 3720 CCGCAGTCGT GGAAGTCCAG CAACTCGTCC ATCCAGATGC CCAATGATTG GACCTACCAG 3780 CCGCGGGAAC AGCGACCCGC CTCCTACGCG GCCCCGCCCC CCGCCTATCA CAAGGCCGCC 3840 GCCCAGCAGC ACCACCAGCA TCAGGGCCCG CCCACAACGC CCCCGCCTCC CTTCCCGACG 3900 GCCTATCCGC CGGAGCTGCA GAGCATCGTG GTGCAGCCGG AGGTGACGGT GGAGACGACG 3960 CACTCGGACA GCAACACCAC CAAGGTGACG GCCACGGCCA ACATCAAGGT GGAGCTGGCC 4020 ATGCCCGGCA GGGCGGTGCG CAGCTATAAC TTTACGAGTT AGCACTAGCA CTAGTTCCTG 4080 TAGCTATTAG GACGTATCTT TAGACTCTAG CCTAAGCCGT AACCCTATTT GTATCTGTAA 4140 AATCGATTTG TCCAGCGGGT CTGCTGAGGA TTTCGTTCTC ATGGATTCTC ATGGATTCTC 4200 ATGGATGCTT AAATGGCATG GTAATTGGCA AAATATCAAT TTTTGTGTCT CAAAAAGATG 4260 CATTAGCTTA TGGTTTCAAG ATACATTTTT AAAGAGTCCG CCAGATATTT ATATAAAAAA 4320 AATCCAAAAT CGACGTATCC ATGAAAATTG AAAAGCTAAG CAGACCCGTA TGTATGTATA 4380 TGTGTATGCA TGTTAGTTAA TTTCCCGAAG TCCGGTATTT ATAGCAGCTG CCTT 4434 1285 amino acids amino acid single linear protein 6 Met Asp Arg Asp Ser Leu Pro Arg Val Pro Asp Thr His Gly Asp Val 1 5 10 15 Val Asp Glu Lys Leu Phe Ser Asp Leu Tyr Ile Arg Thr Ser Trp Val 20 25 30 Asp Ala Gln Val Ala Leu Asp Gln Ile Asp Lys Gly Lys Ala Arg Gly 35 40 45 Ser Arg Thr Ala Ile Tyr Leu Arg Ser Val Phe Gln Ser His Leu Glu 50 55 60 Thr Leu Gly Ser Ser Val Gln Lys His Ala Gly Lys Val Leu Phe Val 65 70 75 80 Ala Ile Leu Val Leu Ser Thr Phe Cys Val Gly Leu Lys Ser Ala Gln 85 90 95 Ile His Ser Lys Val His Gln Leu Trp Ile Gln Glu Gly Gly Arg Leu 100 105 110 Glu Ala Glu Leu Ala Tyr Thr Gln Lys Thr Ile Gly Glu Asp Glu Ser 115 120 125 Ala Thr His Gln Leu Leu Ile Gln Thr Thr His Asp Pro Asn Ala Ser 130 135 140 Val Leu His Pro Gln Ala Leu Leu Ala His Leu Glu Val Leu Val Lys 145 150 155 160 Ala Thr Ala Val Lys Val His Leu Tyr Asp Thr Glu Trp Gly Leu Arg 165 170 175 Asp Met Cys Asn Met Pro Ser Thr Pro Ser Phe Glu Gly Ile Tyr Tyr 180 185 190 Ile Glu Gln Ile Leu Arg His Leu Ile Pro Cys Ser Ile Ile Thr Pro 195 200 205 Leu Asp Cys Phe Trp Glu Gly Ser Gln Leu Leu Gly Pro Glu Ser Ala 210 215 220 Val Val Ile Pro Gly Leu Asn Gln Arg Leu Leu Trp Thr Thr Leu Asn 225 230 235 240 Pro Ala Ser Val Met Gln Tyr Met Lys Gln Lys Met Ser Glu Glu Lys 245 250 255 Ile Ser Phe Asp Phe Glu Thr Val Glu Gln Tyr Met Lys Arg Ala Ala 260 265 270 Ile Gly Ser Gly Tyr Met Glu Lys Pro Cys Leu Asn Pro Leu Asn Pro 275 280 285 Asn Cys Pro Asp Thr Ala Pro Asn Lys Asn Ser Thr Gln Pro Pro Asp 290 295 300 Val Gly Ala Ile Leu Ser Gly Gly Cys Tyr Gly Tyr Ala Ala Lys His 305 310 315 320 Met His Trp Pro Glu Glu Leu Ile Val Gly Gly Arg Lys Arg Asn Arg 325 330 335 Ser Gly His Leu Arg Lys Ala Gln Ala Leu Gln Ser Val Val Gln Leu 340 345 350 Met Thr Glu Lys Glu Met Tyr Asp Gln Trp Gln Asp Asn Tyr Lys Val 355 360 365 His His Leu Gly Trp Thr Gln Glu Lys Ala Ala Glu Val Leu Asn Ala 370 375 380 Trp Gln Arg Asn Phe Ser Arg Glu Val Glu Gln Leu Leu Arg Lys Gln 385 390 395 400 Ser Arg Ile Ala Thr Asn Tyr Asp Ile Tyr Val Phe Ser Ser Ala Ala 405 410 415 Leu Asp Asp Ile Leu Ala Lys Phe Ser His Pro Ser Ala Leu Ser Ile 420 425 430 Val Ile Gly Val Ala Val Thr Val Leu Tyr Ala Phe Cys Thr Leu Leu 435 440 445 Arg Trp Arg Asp Pro Val Arg Gly Gln Ser Ser Val Gly Val Ala Gly 450 455 460 Val Leu Leu Met Cys Phe Ser Thr Ala Ala Gly Leu Gly Leu Ser Ala 465 470 475 480 Leu Leu Gly Ile Val Phe Asn Ala Leu Thr Ala Ala Tyr Ala Glu Ser 485 490 495 Asn Arg Arg Glu Gln Thr Lys Leu Ile Leu Lys Asn Ala Ser Thr Gln 500 505 510 Val Val Pro Phe Leu Ala Leu Gly Leu Gly Val Asp His Ile Phe Ile 515 520 525 Val Gly Pro Ser Ile Leu Phe Ser Ala Cys Ser Thr Ala Gly Ser Phe 530 535 540 Phe Ala Ala Ala Phe Ile Pro Val Pro Ala Leu Lys Val Phe Cys Leu 545 550 555 560 Gln Ala Ala Ile Val Met Cys Ser Asn Leu Ala Ala Ala Leu Leu Val 565 570 575 Phe Pro Ala Met Ile Ser Leu Asp Leu Arg Arg Arg Thr Ala Gly Arg 580 585 590 Ala Asp Ile Phe Cys Cys Cys Phe Pro Val Trp Lys Glu Gln Pro Lys 595 600 605 Val Ala Pro Pro Val Leu Pro Leu Asn Asn Asn Asn Gly Arg Gly Ala 610 615 620 Arg His Pro Lys Ser Cys Asn Asn Asn Arg Val Pro Leu Pro Ala Gln 625 630 635 640 Asn Pro Leu Leu Glu Gln Arg Ala Asp Ile Pro Gly Ser Ser His Ser 645 650 655 Leu Ala Ser Phe Ser Leu Ala Thr Phe Ala Phe Gln His Tyr Thr Pro 660 665 670 Phe Leu Met Arg Ser Trp Val Lys Phe Leu Thr Val Met Gly Phe Leu 675 680 685 Ala Ala Leu Ile Ser Ser Leu Tyr Ala Ser Thr Arg Leu Gln Asp Gly 690 695 700 Leu Asp Ile Ile Asp Leu Val Pro Lys Asp Ser Asn Glu His Lys Phe 705 710 715 720 Leu Asp Ala Gln Thr Arg Leu Phe Gly Phe Tyr Ser Met Tyr Ala Val 725 730 735 Thr Gln Gly Asn Phe Glu Tyr Pro Thr Gln Gln Gln Leu Leu Arg Asp 740 745 750 Tyr His Asp Ser Phe Arg Val Pro His Val Ile Lys Asn Asp Asn Gly 755 760 765 Gly Leu Pro Asp Phe Trp Leu Leu Leu Phe Ser Glu Trp Leu Gly Asn 770 775 780 Leu Gln Lys Ile Phe Asp Glu Glu Tyr Arg Asp Gly Arg Leu Thr Lys 785 790 795 800 Glu Cys Trp Phe Pro Asn Ala Ser Ser Asp Ala Ile Leu Ala Tyr Lys 805 810 815 Leu Ile Val Gln Thr Gly His Val Asp Asn Pro Val Asp Lys Glu Leu 820 825 830 Val Leu Thr Asn Arg Leu Val Asn Ser Asp Gly Ile Ile Asn Gln Arg 835 840 845 Ala Phe Tyr Asn Tyr Leu Ser Ala Trp Ala Thr Asn Asp Val Phe Ala 850 855 860 Tyr Gly Ala Ser Gln Gly Lys Leu Tyr Pro Glu Pro Arg Gln Tyr Phe 865 870 875 880 His Gln Pro Asn Glu Tyr Asp Leu Lys Ile Pro Lys Ser Leu Pro Leu 885 890 895 Val Tyr Ala Gln Met Pro Phe Tyr Leu His Gly Leu Thr Asp Thr Ser 900 905 910 Gln Ile Lys Thr Leu Ile Gly His Ile Arg Asp Leu Ser Val Lys Tyr 915 920 925 Glu Gly Phe Gly Leu Pro Asn Tyr Pro Ser Gly Ile Pro Phe Ile Phe 930 935 940 Trp Glu Gln Tyr Met Thr Leu Arg Ser Ser Leu Ala Met Ile Leu Ala 945 950 955 960 Cys Val Leu Leu Ala Ala Leu Val Leu Val Ser Leu Leu Leu Leu Ser 965 970 975 Val Trp Ala Ala Val Leu Val Ile Leu Ser Val Leu Ala Ser Leu Ala 980 985 990 Gln Ile Phe Gly Ala Met Thr Leu Leu Gly Ile Lys Leu Ser Ala Ile 995 1000 1005 Pro Ala Val Ile Leu Ile Leu Ser Val Gly Met Met Leu Cys Phe Asn 1010 1015 1020 Val Leu Ile Ser Leu Gly Phe Met Thr Ser Val Gly Asn Arg Gln Arg 1025 1030 1035 1040 Arg Val Gln Leu Ser Met Gln Met Ser Leu Gly Pro Leu Val His Gly 1045 1050 1055 Met Leu Thr Ser Gly Val Ala Val Phe Met Leu Ser Thr Ser Pro Phe 1060 1065 1070 Glu Phe Val Ile Arg His Phe Cys Trp Leu Leu Leu Val Val Leu Cys 1075 1080 1085 Val Gly Ala Cys Asn Ser Leu Leu Val Phe Pro Ile Leu Leu Ser Met 1090 1095 1100 Val Gly Pro Glu Ala Glu Leu Val Pro Leu Glu His Pro Asp Arg Ile 1105 1110 1115 1120 Ser Thr Pro Ser Pro Leu Pro Val Arg Ser Ser Lys Arg Ser Gly Lys 1125 1130 1135 Ser Tyr Val Val Gln Gly Ser Arg Ser Ser Arg Gly Ser Cys Gln Lys 1140 1145 1150 Ser His His His His His Lys Asp Leu Asn Asp Pro Ser Leu Thr Thr 1155 1160 1165 Ile Thr Glu Glu Pro Gln Ser Trp Lys Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Ile Gln 1170 1175 1180 Met Pro Asn Asp Trp Thr Tyr Gln Pro Arg Glu Gln Arg Pro Ala Ser 1185 1190 1195 1200 Tyr Ala Ala Pro Pro Pro Ala Tyr His Lys Ala Ala Ala Gln Gln His 1205 1210 1215 His Gln His Gln Gly Pro Pro Thr Thr Pro Pro Pro Pro Phe Pro Thr 1220 1225 1230 Ala Tyr Pro Pro Glu Leu Gln Ser Ile Val Val Gln Pro Glu Val Thr 1235 1240 1245 Val Glu Thr Thr His Ser Asp Ser Asn Thr Thr Lys Val Thr Ala Thr 1250 1255 1260 Ala Asn Ile Lys Val Glu Leu Ala Met Pro Gly Arg Ala Val Arg Ser 1265 1270 1275 1280 Tyr Asn Phe Thr Ser 1285 345 base pairs nucleic acid single linear DNA (genomic) 7 AAGGTCCATC AGCTTTGGAT ACAGGAAGGT GGTTCGCTCG AGCATGAGCT AGCCTACACG 60 CAGAAATCGC TCGGCGAGAT GGACTCCTCC ACGCACCAGC TGCTAATCCA AACNCCCAAA 120 GATATGGACG CCTCGATACT GCACCCGAAC GCGCTACTGA CGCACCTGGA CGTGGTGAAG 180 AAAGCGATCT CGGTGACGGT GCACATGTAC GACATCACGT GGAGNCTCAA GGACATGTGC 240 TACTCGCCCA GCATACCGAG NTTCGATACG CACTTTATCG AGCAGATCTT CGAGAACATC 300 ATACCGTGCG CGATCATCAC GCCGCTGGAT TGCTTTTGGG AGGGA 345 115 amino acids amino acid single linear peptide 8 Lys Val His Gln Leu Trp Ile Gln Glu Gly Gly Ser Leu Glu His Glu 1 5 10 15 Leu Ala Tyr Thr Gln Lys Ser Leu Gly Glu Met Asp Ser Ser Thr His 20 25 30 Gln Leu Leu Ile Gln Thr Pro Lys Asp Met Asp Ala Ser Ile Leu His 35 40 45 Pro Asn Ala Leu Leu Thr His Leu Asp Val Val Lys Lys Ala Ile Ser 50 55 60 Val Thr Val His Met Tyr Asp Ile Thr Trp Xaa Leu Lys Asp Met Cys 65 70 75 80 Tyr Ser Pro Ser Ile Pro Xaa Phe Asp Thr His Phe Ile Glu Gln Ile 85 90 95 Phe Glu Asn Ile Ile Pro Cys Ala Ile Ile Thr Pro Leu Asp Cys Phe 100 105 110 Trp Glu Gly 115 5187 base pairs nucleic acid single linear cDNA 9 GGGTCTGTCA CCCGGAGCCG GAGTCCCCGG CGGCCAGCAG CGTCCTCGCG AGCCGAGCGC 60 CCAGGCGCGC CCGGAGCCCG CGGCGGCGGC GGCAACATGG CCTCGGCTGG TAACGCCGCC 120 GGGGCCCTGG GCAGGCAGGC CGGCGGCGGG AGGCGCAGAC GGACCGGGGG ACCGCACCGC 180 GCCGCGCCGG ACCGGGACTA TCTGCACCGG CCCAGCTACT GCGACGCCGC CTTCGCTCTG 240 GAGCAGATTT CCAAGGGGAA GGCTACTGGC CGGAAAGCGC CGCTGTGGCT GAGAGCGAAG 300 TTTCAGAGAC TCTTATTTAA ACTGGGTTGT TACATTCAAA AGAACTGCGG CAAGTTTTTG 360 GTTGTGGGTC TCCTCATATT TGGGGCCTTC GCTGTGGGAT TAAAGGCAGC TAATCTCGAG 420 ACCAACGTGG AGGAGCTGTG GGTGGAAGTT GGTGGACGAG TGAGTCGAGA ATTAAATTAT 480 ACCCGTCAGA AGATAGGAGA AGAGGCTATG TTTAATCCTC AACTCATGAT ACAGACTCCA 540 AAAGAAGAAG GCGCTAATGT TCTGACCACA GAGGCTCTCC TGCAACACCT GGACTCAGCA 600 CTCCAGGCCA GTCGTGTGCA CGTCTACATG TATAACAGGC AATGGAAGTT GGAACATTTG 660 TGCTACAAAT CAGGGGAACT TATCACGGAG ACAGGTTACA TGGATCAGAT AATAGAATAC 720 CTTTACCCTT GCTTAATCAT TACACCTTTG GACTGCTTCT GGGAAGGGGC AAAGCTACAG 780 TCCGGGACAG CATACCTCCT AGGTAAGCCT CCTTTACGGT GGACAAACTT TGACCCCTTG 840 GAATTCCTAG AAGAGTTAAA GAAAATAAAC TACCAAGTGG ACAGCTGGGA GGAAATGCTG 900 AATAAAGCCG AAGTTGGCCA TGGGTACATG GACCGGCCTT GCCTCAACCC AGCCGACCCA 960 GATTGCCCTG CCACAGCCCC TAACAAAAAT TCAACCAAAC CTCTTGATGT GGCCCTTGTT 1020 TTGAATGGTG GATGTCAAGG TTTATCCAGG AAGTATATGC ATTGGCAGGA GGAGTTGATT 1080 GTGGGTGGTA CCGTCAAGAA TGCCACTGGA AAACTTGTCA GCGCTCACGC CCTGCAAACC 1140 ATGTTCCAGT TAATGACTCC CAAGCAAATG TATGAACACT TCAGGGGCTA CGACTATGTC 1200 TCTCACATCA ACTGGAATGA AGACAGGGCA GCCGCCATCC TGGAGGCCTG GCAGAGGACT 1260 TACGTGGAGG TGGTTCATCA AAGTGTCGCC CCAAACTCCA CTCAAAAGGT GCTTCCCTTC 1320 ACAACCACGA CCCTGGACGA CATCCTAAAA TCCTTCTCTG ATGTCAGTGT CATCCGAGTG 1380 GCCAGCGGCT ACCTACTGAT GCTTGCCTAT GCCTGTTTAA CCATGCTGCG CTGGGACTGC 1440 TCCAAGTCCC AGGGTGCCGT GGGGCTGGCT GGCGTCCTGT TGGTTGCGCT GTCAGTGGCT 1500 GCAGGATTGG GCCTCTGCTC CTTGATTGGC ATTTCTTTTA ATGCTGCGAC AACTCAGGTT 1560 TTGCCGTTTC TTGCTCTTGG TGTTGGTGTG GATGATGTCT TCCTCCTGGC CCATGCATTC 1620 AGTGAAACAG GACAGAATAA GAGGATTCCA TTTGAGGACA GGACTGGGGA GTGCCTCAAG 1680 CGCACCGGAG CCAGCGTGGC CCTCACCTCC ATCAGCAATG TCACCGCCTT CTTCATGGCC 1740 GCATTGATCC CTATCCCTGC CCTGCGAGCG TTCTCCCTCC AGGCTGCTGT GGTGGTGGTA 1800 TTCAATTTTG CTATGGTTCT GCTCATTTTT CCTGCAATTC TCAGCATGGA TTTATACAGA 1860 CGTGAGGACA GAAGATTGGA TATTTTCTGC TGTTTCACAA GCCCCTGTGT CAGCAGGGTG 1920 ATTCAAGTTG AGCCACAGGC CTACACAGAG CCTCACAGTA ACACCCGGTA CAGCCCCCCA 1980 CCCCCATACA CCAGCCACAG CTTCGCCCAC GAAACCCATA TCACTATGCA GTCCACCGTT 2040 CAGCTCCGCA CAGAGTATGA CCCTCACACG CACGTGTACT ACACCACCGC CGAGCCACGC 2100 TCTGAGATCT CTGTACAGCC TGTTACCGTC ACCCAGGACA ACCTCAGCTG TCAGAGTCCC 2160 GAGAGCACCA GCTCTACCAG GGACCTGCTC TCCCAGTTCT CAGACTCCAG CCTCCACTGC 2220 CTCGAGCCCC CCTGCACCAA GTGGACACTC TCTTCGTTTG CAGAGAAGCA CTATGCTCCT 2280 TTCCTCCTGA AACCCAAAGC CAAGGTTGTG GTAATCCTTC TTTTCCTGGG CTTGCTGGGG 2340 GTCAGCCTTT ATGGGACCAC CCGAGTGAGA GACGGGCTGG ACCTCACGGA CATTGTTCCC 2400 CGGGAAACCA GAGAATATGA CTTCATAGCT GCCCAGTTCA AGTACTTCTC TTTCTACAAC 2460 ATGTATATAG TCACCCAGAA AGCAGACTAC CCGAATATCC AGCACCTACT TTACGACCTT 2520 CATAAGAGTT TCAGCAATGT GAAGTATGTC ATGCTGGAGG AGAACAAGCA ACTTCCCCAA 2580 ATGTGGCTGC ACTACTTTAG AGACTGGCTT CAAGGACTTC AGGATGCATT TGACAGTGAC 2640 TGGGAAACTG GGAGGATCAT GCCAAACAAT TATAAAAATG GATCAGATGA CGGGGTCCTC 2700 GCTTACAAAC TCCTGGTGCA GACTGGCAGC CGAGACAAGC CCATCGACAT TAGTCAGTTG 2760 ACTAAACAGC GTCTGGTAGA CGCAGATGGC ATCATTAATC CGAGCGCTTT CTACATCTAC 2820 CTGACCGCTT GGGTCAGCAA CGACCCTGTA GCTTACGCTG CCTCCCAGGC CAACATCCGG 2880 CCTCACCGGC CGGAGTGGGT CCATGACAAA GCCGACTACA TGCCAGAGAC CAGGCTGAGA 2940 ATCCCAGCAG CAGAGCCCAT CGAGTACGCT CAGTTCCCTT TCTACCTCAA CGGCCTACGA 3000 GACACCTCAG ACTTTGTGGA AGCCATAGAA AAAGTGAGAG TCATCTGTAA CAACTATACG 3060 AGCCTGGGAC TGTCCAGCTA CCCCAATGGC TACCCCTTCC TGTTCTGGGA GCAATACATC 3120 AGCCTGCGCC ACTGGCTGCT GCTATCCATC AGCGTGGTGC TGGCCTGCAC GTTTCTAGTG 3180 TGCGCAGTCT TCCTCCTGAA CCCCTGGACG GCCGGGATCA TTGTCATGGT CCTGGCTCTG 3240 ATGACCGTTG AGCTCTTTGG CATGATGGGC CTCATTGGGA TCAAGCTGAG TGCTGTGCCT 3300 GTGGTCATCC TGATTGCATC TGTTGGCATC GGAGTGGAGT TCACCGTCCA CGTGGCTTTG 3360 GCCTTTCTGA CAGCCATTGG GGACAAGAAC CACAGGGCTA TGCTCGCTCT GGAACACATG 3420 TTTGCTCCCG TTCTGGACGG TGCTGTGTCC ACTCTGCTGG GTGTACTGAT GCTTGCAGGG 3480 TCCGAATTTG ATTTCATTGT CAGATACTTC TTTGCCGTCC TGGCCATTCT CACCGTCTTG 3540 GGGGTTCTCA ATGGACTGGT TCTGCTGCCT GTCCTCTTAT CCTTCTTTGG ACCGTGTCCT 3600 GAGGTGTCTC CAGCCAATGG CCTAAACCGA CTGCCCACTC CTTCGCCTGA GCCGCCTCCA 3660 AGTGTCGTCC GGTTTGCCGT GCCTCCTGGT CACACGAACA ATGGGTCTGA TTCCTCCGAC 3720 TCGGAGTACA GCTCTCAGAC CACGGTGTCT GGCATCAGTG AGGAGCTCAG GCAATACGAA 3780 GCACAGCAGG GTGCCGGAGG CCCTGCCCAC CAAGTGATTG TGGAAGCCAC AGAAAACCCT 3840 GTCTTTGCCC GGTCCACTGT GGTCCATCCG GACTCCAGAC ATCAGCCTCC CTTGACCCCT 3900 CGGCAACAGC CCCACCTGGA CTCTGGCTCC TTGTCCCCTG GACGGCAAGG CCAGCAGCCT 3960 CGAAGGGATC CCCCTAGAGA AGGCTTGCGG CCACCCCCCT ACAGACCGCG CAGAGACGCT 4020 TTTGAAATTT CTACTGAAGG GCATTCTGGC CCTAGCAATA GGGACCGCTC AGGGCCCCGT 4080 GGGGCCCGTT CTCACAACCC TCGGAACCCA ACGTCCACCG CCATGGGCAG CTCTGTGCCC 4140 AGCTACTGCC AGCCCATCAC CACTGTGACG GCTTCTGCTT CGGTGACTGT TGCTGTGCAT 4200 CCCCCGCCTG GACCTGGGCG CAACCCCCGA GGGGGGCCCT GTCCAGGCTA TGAGAGCTAC 4260 CCTGAGACTG ATCACGGGGT ATTTGAGGAT CCTCATGTGC CTTTTCATGT CAGGTGTGAG 4320 AGGAGGGACT CAAAGGTGGA GGTCATAGAG CTACAGGACG TGGAATGTGA GGAGAGGCCG 4380 TGGGGGAGCA GCTCCAACTG AGGGTAATTA AAATCTGAAG CAAAGAGGCC AAAGATTGGA 4440 AAGCCCCGCC CCCACCTCTT TCCAGAACTG CTTGAAGAGA ACTGCTTGGA ATTATGGGAA 4500 GGCAGTTCAT TGTTACTGTA ACTGATTGTA TTATTKKGTG AAATATTTCT ATAAATATTT 4560 AARAGGTGTA CACATGTAAT ATACATGGAA ATGCTGTACA GTCTATTTCC TGGGGCCTCT 4620 CCACTCCTGC CCCAGAGTGG GGAGACCACA GGGGCCCTTT CCCCTGTGTA CATTGGTCTC 4680 TGTGCCACAA CCAAGCTTAA CTTAGTTTTA AAAAAAATCT CCCAGCATAT GTCGCTGCTG 4740 CTTAAATATT GTATAATTTA CTTGTATAAT TCTATGCAAA TATTGCTTAT GTAATAGGAT 4800 TATTTGTAAA GGTTTCTGTT TAAAATATTT TAAATTTGCA TATCACAACC CTGTGGTAGG 4860 ATGAATTGTT ACTGTTAACT TTTGAACACG CTATGCGTGG TAATTGTTTA ACGAGCAGAC 4920 ATGAAGAAAA CAGGTTAATC CCAGTGGCTT CTCTAGGGGT AGTTGTATAT GGTTCGCATG 4980 GGTGGATGTG TGTGTGCATG TGACTTTCCA ATGTACTGTA TTGTGGTTTG TTGTTGTTGT 5040 TGCTGTTGTT GTTCATTTTG GTGTTTTTGG TTGCTTTGTA TGATCTTAGC TCTGGCCTAG 5100 GTGGGCTGGG AAGGTCCAGG TCTTTTTCTG TCGTGATGCT GGTGGAAAGG TGACCCCAAT 5160 CATCTGTCCT ATTCTCTGGG ACTATTC 5187 1434 amino acids amino acid single linear protein 10 Met Ala Ser Ala Gly Asn Ala Ala Gly Ala Leu Gly Arg Gln Ala Gly 1 5 10 15 Gly Gly Arg Arg Arg Arg Thr Gly Gly Pro His Arg Ala Ala Pro Asp 20 25 30 Arg Asp Tyr Leu His Arg Pro Ser Tyr Cys Asp Ala Ala Phe Ala Leu 35 40 45 Glu Gln Ile Ser Lys Gly Lys Ala Thr Gly Arg Lys Ala Pro Leu Trp 50 55 60 Leu Arg Ala Lys Phe Gln Arg Leu Leu Phe Lys Leu Gly Cys Tyr Ile 65 70 75 80 Gln Lys Asn Cys Gly Lys Phe Leu Val Val Gly Leu Leu Ile Phe Gly 85 90 95 Ala Phe Ala Val Gly Leu Lys Ala Ala Asn Leu Glu Thr Asn Val Glu 100 105 110 Glu Leu Trp Val Glu Val Gly Gly Arg Val Ser Arg Glu Leu Asn Tyr 115 120 125 Thr Arg Gln Lys Ile Gly Glu Glu Ala Met Phe Asn Pro Gln Leu Met 130 135 140 Ile Gln Thr Pro Lys Glu Glu Gly Ala Asn Val Leu Thr Thr Glu Ala 145 150 155 160 Leu Leu Gln His Leu Asp Ser Ala Leu Gln Ala Ser Arg Val His Val 165 170 175 Tyr Met Tyr Asn Arg Gln Trp Lys Leu Glu His Leu Cys Tyr Lys Ser 180 185 190 Gly Glu Leu Ile Thr Glu Thr Gly Tyr Met Asp Gln Ile Ile Glu Tyr 195 200 205 Leu Tyr Pro Cys Leu Ile Ile Thr Pro Leu Asp Cys Phe Trp Glu Gly 210 215 220 Ala Lys Leu Gln Ser Gly Thr Ala Tyr Leu Leu Gly Lys Pro Pro Leu 225 230 235 240 Arg Trp Thr Asn Phe Asp Pro Leu Glu Phe Leu Glu Glu Leu Lys Lys 245 250 255 Ile Asn Tyr Gln Val Asp Ser Trp Glu Glu Met Leu Asn Lys Ala Glu 260 265 270 Val Gly His Gly Tyr Met Asp Arg Pro Cys Leu Asn Pro Ala Asp Pro 275 280 285 Asp Cys Pro Ala Thr Ala Pro Asn Lys Asn Ser Thr Lys Pro Leu Asp 290 295 300 Val Ala Leu Val Leu Asn Gly Gly Cys Gln Gly Leu Ser Arg Lys Tyr 305 310 315 320 Met His Trp Gln Glu Glu Leu Ile Val Gly Gly Thr Val Lys Asn Ala 325 330 335 Thr Gly Lys Leu Val Ser Ala His Ala Leu Gln Thr Met Phe Gln Leu 340 345 350 Met Thr Pro Lys Gln Met Tyr Glu His Phe Arg Gly Tyr Asp Tyr Val 355 360 365 Ser His Ile Asn Trp Asn Glu Asp Arg Ala Ala Ala Ile Leu Glu Ala 370 375 380 Trp Gln Arg Thr Tyr Val Glu Val Val His Gln Ser Val Ala Pro Asn 385 390 395 400 Ser Thr Gln Lys Val Leu Pro Phe Thr Thr Thr Thr Leu Asp Asp Ile 405 410 415 Leu Lys Ser Phe Ser Asp Val Ser Val Ile Arg Val Ala Ser Gly Tyr 420 425 430 Leu Leu Met Leu Ala Tyr Ala Cys Leu Thr Met Leu Arg Trp Asp Cys 435 440 445 Ser Lys Ser Gln Gly Ala Val Gly Leu Ala Gly Val Leu Leu Val Ala 450 455 460 Leu Ser Val Ala Ala Gly Leu Gly Leu Cys Ser Leu Ile Gly Ile Ser 465 470 475 480 Phe Asn Ala Ala Thr Thr Gln Val Leu Pro Phe Leu Ala Leu Gly Val 485 490 495 Gly Val Asp Asp Val Phe Leu Leu Ala His Ala Phe Ser Glu Thr Gly 500 505 510 Gln Asn Lys Arg Ile Pro Phe Glu Asp Arg Thr Gly Glu Cys Leu Lys 515 520 525 Arg Thr Gly Ala Ser Val Ala Leu Thr Ser Ile Ser Asn Val Thr Ala 530 535 540 Phe Phe Met Ala Ala Leu Ile Pro Ile Pro Ala Leu Arg Ala Phe Ser 545 550 555 560 Leu Gln Ala Ala Val Val Val Val Phe Asn Phe Ala Met Val Leu Leu 565 570 575 Ile Phe Pro Ala Ile Leu Ser Met Asp Leu Tyr Arg Arg Glu Asp Arg 580 585 590 Arg Leu Asp Ile Phe Cys Cys Phe Thr Ser Pro Cys Val Ser Arg Val 595 600 605 Ile Gln Val Glu Pro Gln Ala Tyr Thr Glu Pro His Ser Asn Thr Arg 610 615 620 Tyr Ser Pro Pro Pro Pro Tyr Thr Ser His Ser Phe Ala His Glu Thr 625 630 635 640 His Ile Thr Met Gln Ser Thr Val Gln Leu Arg Thr Glu Tyr Asp Pro 645 650 655 His Thr His Val Tyr Tyr Thr Thr Ala Glu Pro Arg Ser Glu Ile Ser 660 665 670 Val Gln Pro Val Thr Val Thr Gln Asp Asn Leu Ser Cys Gln Ser Pro 675 680 685 Glu Ser Thr Ser Ser Thr Arg Asp Leu Leu Ser Gln Phe Ser Asp Ser 690 695 700 Ser Leu His Cys Leu Glu Pro Pro Cys Thr Lys Trp Thr Leu Ser Ser 705 710 715 720 Phe Ala Glu Lys His Tyr Ala Pro Phe Leu Leu Lys Pro Lys Ala Lys 725 730 735 Val Val Val Ile Leu Leu Phe Leu Gly Leu Leu Gly Val Ser Leu Tyr 740 745 750 Gly Thr Thr Arg Val Arg Asp Gly Leu Asp Leu Thr Asp Ile Val Pro 755 760 765 Arg Glu Thr Arg Glu Tyr Asp Phe Ile Ala Ala Gln Phe Lys Tyr Phe 770 775 780 Ser Phe Tyr Asn Met Tyr Ile Val Thr Gln Lys Ala Asp Tyr Pro Asn 785 790 795 800 Ile Gln His Leu Leu Tyr Asp Leu His Lys Ser Phe Ser Asn Val Lys 805 810 815 Tyr Val Met Leu Glu Glu Asn Lys Gln Leu Pro Gln Met Trp Leu His 820 825 830 Tyr Phe Arg Asp Trp Leu Gln Gly Leu Gln Asp Ala Phe Asp Ser Asp 835 840 845 Trp Glu Thr Gly Arg Ile Met Pro Asn Asn Tyr Lys Asn Gly Ser Asp 850 855 860 Asp Gly Val Leu Ala Tyr Lys Leu Leu Val Gln Thr Gly Ser Arg Asp 865 870 875 880 Lys Pro Ile Asp Ile Ser Gln Leu Thr Lys Gln Arg Leu Val Asp Ala 885 890 895 Asp Gly Ile Ile Asn Pro Ser Ala Phe Tyr Ile Tyr Leu Thr Ala Trp 900 905 910 Val Ser Asn Asp Pro Val Ala Tyr Ala Ala Ser Gln Ala Asn Ile Arg 915 920 925 Pro His Arg Pro Glu Trp Val His Asp Lys Ala Asp Tyr Met Pro Glu 930 935 940 Thr Arg Leu Arg Ile Pro Ala Ala Glu Pro Ile Glu Tyr Ala Gln Phe 945 950 955 960 Pro Phe Tyr Leu Asn Gly Leu Arg Asp Thr Ser Asp Phe Val Glu Ala 965 970 975 Ile Glu Lys Val Arg Val Ile Cys Asn Asn Tyr Thr Ser Leu Gly Leu 980 985 990 Ser Ser Tyr Pro Asn Gly Tyr Pro Phe Leu Phe Trp Glu Gln Tyr Ile 995 1000 1005 Ser Leu Arg His Trp Leu Leu Leu Ser Ile Ser Val Val Leu Ala Cys 1010 1015 1020 Thr Phe Leu Val Cys Ala Val Phe Leu Leu Asn Pro Trp Thr Ala Gly 1025 1030 1035 1040 Ile Ile Val Met Val Leu Ala Leu Met Thr Val Glu Leu Phe Gly Met 1045 1050 1055 Met Gly Leu Ile Gly Ile Lys Leu Ser Ala Val Pro Val Val Ile Leu 1060 1065 1070 Ile Ala Ser Val Gly Ile Gly Val Glu Phe Thr Val His Val Ala Leu 1075 1080 1085 Ala Phe Leu Thr Ala Ile Gly Asp Lys Asn His Arg Ala Met Leu Ala 1090 1095 1100 Leu Glu His Met Phe Ala Pro Val Leu Asp Gly Ala Val Ser Thr Leu 1105 1110 1115 1120 Leu Gly Val Leu Met Leu Ala Gly Ser Glu Phe Asp Phe Ile Val Arg 1125 1130 1135 Tyr Phe Phe Ala Val Leu Ala Ile Leu Thr Val Leu Gly Val Leu Asn 1140 1145 1150 Gly Leu Val Leu Leu Pro Val Leu Leu Ser Phe Phe Gly Pro Cys Pro 1155 1160 1165 Glu Val Ser Pro Ala Asn Gly Leu Asn Arg Leu Pro Thr Pro Ser Pro 1170 1175 1180 Glu Pro Pro Pro Ser Val Val Arg Phe Ala Val Pro Pro Gly His Thr 1185 1190 1195 1200 Asn Asn Gly Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Glu Tyr Ser Ser Gln Thr Thr 1205 1210 1215 Val Ser Gly Ile Ser Glu Glu Leu Arg Gln Tyr Glu Ala Gln Gln Gly 1220 1225 1230 Ala Gly Gly Pro Ala His Gln Val Ile Val Glu Ala Thr Glu Asn Pro 1235 1240 1245 Val Phe Ala Arg Ser Thr Val Val His Pro Asp Ser Arg His Gln Pro 1250 1255 1260 Pro Leu Thr Pro Arg Gln Gln Pro His Leu Asp Ser Gly Ser Leu Ser 1265 1270 1275 1280 Pro Gly Arg Gln Gly Gln Gln Pro Arg Arg Asp Pro Pro Arg Glu Gly 1285 1290 1295 Leu Arg Pro Pro Pro Tyr Arg Pro Arg Arg Asp Ala Phe Glu Ile Ser 1300 1305 1310 Thr Glu Gly His Ser Gly Pro Ser Asn Arg Asp Arg Ser Gly Pro Arg 1315 1320 1325 Gly Ala Arg Ser His Asn Pro Arg Asn Pro Thr Ser Thr Ala Met Gly 1330 1335 1340 Ser Ser Val Pro Ser Tyr Cys Gln Pro Ile Thr Thr Val Thr Ala Ser 1345 1350 1355 1360 Ala Ser Val Thr Val Ala Val His Pro Pro Pro Gly Pro Gly Arg Asn 1365 1370 1375 Pro Arg Gly Gly Pro Cys Pro Gly Tyr Glu Ser Tyr Pro Glu Thr Asp 1380 1385 1390 His Gly Val Phe Glu Asp Pro His Val Pro Phe His Val Arg Cys Glu 1395 1400 1405 Arg Arg Asp Ser Lys Val Glu Val Ile Glu Leu Gln Asp Val Glu Cys 1410 1415 1420 Glu Glu Arg Pro Trp Gly Ser Ser Ser Asn 1425 1430 11 amino acids amino acid single linear peptide 11 Ile Ile Thr Pro Leu Asp Cys Phe Trp Glu Gly 1 5 10 5 amino acids amino acid single linear peptide 12 Leu Ile Val Gly Gly 1 5 7 amino acids amino acid single linear peptide 13 Pro Phe Phe Trp Glu Gln Tyr 1 5 28 base pairs nucleic acid single linear other nucleic acid /desc = “primer” 14 GGACGAATTC AARGTNCAYC ARYTNTGG 28 26 base pairs nucleic acid single linear other nucleic acid /desc = “primer” 15 GGACGAATTC CYTCCCARAA RCANTC 26 27 base pairs nucleic acid single linear other nucleic acid /desc = “primer” 16 GGACGAATTC YTNGANTGYT TYTGGGA 27 31 base pairs nucleic acid single linear other nucleic acid /desc = “primer” 17 CATACCAGCC AAGCTTGTCN GGCCARTGCA T 31 5288 base pairs nucleic acid single linear cDNA 18 GAATTCCGGG GACCGCAAGG AGTGCCGCGG AAGCGCCCGA AGGACAGGCT CGCTCGGCGC 60 GCCGGCTCTC GCTCTTCCGC GAACTGGATG TGGGCAGCGG CGGCCGCAGA GACCTCGGGA 120 CCCCCGCGCA ATGTGGCAAT GGAAGGCGCA GGGTCTGACT CCCCGGCAGC GGCCGCGGCC 180 GCAGCGGCAG CAGCGCCCGC CGTGTGAGCA GCAGCAGCGG CTGGTCTGTC AACCGGAGCC 240 CGAGCCCGAG CAGCCTGCGG CCAGCAGCGT CCTCGCAAGC CGAGCGCCCA GGCGCGCCAG 300 GAGCCCGCAG CAGCGGCAGC AGCGCGCCGG GCCGCCCGGG AAGCCTCCGT CCCCGCGGCG 360 GCGGCGGCGG CGGCGGCGGC AACATGGCCT CGGCTGGTAA CGCCGCCGAG CCCCAGGACC 420 GCGGCGGCGG CGGCAGCGGC TGTATCGGTG CCCCGGGACG GCCGGCTGGA GGCGGGAGGC 480 GCAGACGGAC GGGGGGGCTG CGCCGTGCTG CCGCGCCGGA CCGGGACTAT CTGCACCGGC 540 CCAGCTACTG CGACGCCGCC TTCGCTCTGG AGCAGATTTC CAAGGGGAAG GCTACTGGCC 600 GGAAAGCGCC ACTGTGGCTG AGAGCGAAGT TTCAGAGACT CTTATTTAAA CTGGGTTGTT 660 ACATTCAAAA AAACTGCGGC AAGTTCTTGG TTGTGGGCCT CCTCATATTT GGGGCCTTCG 720 CGGTGGGATT AAAAGCAGCG AACCTCGAGA CCAACGTGGA GGAGCTGTGG GTGGAAGTTG 780 GAGGACGAGT AAGTCGTGAA TTAAATTATA CTCGCCAGAA GATTGGAGAA GAGGCTATGT 840 TTAATCCTCA ACTCATGATA CAGACCCCTA AAGAAGAAGG TGCTAATGTC CTGACCACAG 900 AAGCGCTCCT ACAACACCTG GACTCGGCAC TCCAGGCCAG CCGTGTCCAT GTATACATGT 960 ACAACAGGCA GTGGAAATTG GAACATTTGT GTTACAAATC AGGAGAGCTT ATCACAGAAA 1020 CAGGTTACAT GGATCAGATA ATAGAATATC TTTACCCTTG TTTGATTATT ACACCTTTGG 1080 ACTGCTTCTG GGAAGGGGCG AAATTACAGT CTGGGACAGC ATACCTCCTA GGTAAACCTC 1140 CTTTGCGGTG GACAAACTTC GACCCTTTGG AATTCCTGGA AGAGTTAAAG AAAATAAACT 1200 ATCAAGTGGA CAGCTGGGAG GAAATGCTGA ATAAGGCTGA GGTTGGTCAT GGTTACATGG 1260 ACCGCCCCTG CCTCAATCCG GCCGATCCAG ACTGCCCCGC CACAGCCCCC AACAAAAATT 1320 CAACCAAACC TCTTGATATG GCCCTTGTTT TGAATGGTGG ATGTCATGGC TTATCCAGAA 1380 AGTATATGCA CTGGCAGGAG GAGTTGATTG TGGGTGGCAC AGTCAAGAAC AGCACTGGAA 1440 AACTCGTCAG CGCCCATGCC CTGCAGACCA TGTTCCAGTT AATGACTCCC AAGCAAATGT 1500 ACGAGCACTT CAAGGGGTAC GAGTATGTCT CACACATCAA CTGGAACGAG GACAAAGCGG 1560 CAGCCATCCT GGAGGCCTGG CAGAGGACAT ATGTGGAGGT GGTTCATCAG AGTGTCGCAC 1620 AGAACTCCAC TCAAAAGGTG CTTTCCTTCA CCACCACGAC CCTGGACGAC ATCCTGAAAT 1680 CCTTCTCTGA CGTCAGTGTC ATCCGCGTGG CCAGCGGCTA CTTACTCATG CTCGCCTATG 1740 CCTGTCTAAC CATGCTGCGC TGGGACTGCT CCAAGTCCCA GGGTGCCGTG GGGCTGGCTG 1800 GCGTCCTGCT GGTTGCACTG TCAGTGGCTG CAGGACTGGG CCTGTGCTCA TTGATCGGAA 1860 TTTCCTTTAA CGCTGCAACA ACTCAGGTTT TGCCATTTCT CGCTCTTGGT GTTGGTGTGG 1920 ATGATGTTTT TCTTCTGGCC CACGCCTTCA GTGAAACAGG ACAGAATAAA AGAATCCCTT 1980 TTGAGGACAG GACCGGGGAG TGCCTGAAGC GCACAGGAGC CAGCGTGGCC CTCACGTCCA 2040 TCAGCAATGT CACAGCCTTC TTCATGGCCG CGTTAATCCC AATTCCCGCT CTGCGGGCGT 2100 TCTCCCTCCA GGCAGCGGTA GTAGTGGTGT TCAATTTTGC CATGGTTCTG CTCATTTTTC 2160 CTGCAATTCT CAGCATGGAT TTATATCGAC GCGAGGACAG GAGACTGGAT ATTTTCTGCT 2220 GTTTTACAAG CCCCTGCGTC AGCAGAGTGA TTCAGGTTGA ACCTCAGGCC TACACCGACA 2280 CACACGACAA TACCCGCTAC AGCCCCCCAC CTCCCTACAG CAGCCACAGC TTTGCCCATG 2340 AAACGCAGAT TACCATGCAG TCCACTGTCC AGCTCCGCAC GGAGTACGAC CCCCACACGC 2400 ACGTGTACTA CACCACCGCT GAGCCGCGCT CCGAGATCTC TGTGCAGCCC GTCACCGTGA 2460 CACAGGACAC CCTCAGCTGC CAGAGCCCAG AGAGCACCAG CTCCACAAGG GACCTGCTCT 2520 CCCAGTTCTC CGACTCCAGC CTCCACTGCC TCGAGCCCCC CTGTACGAAG TGGACACTCT 2580 CATCTTTTGC TGAGAAGCAC TATGCTCCTT TCCTCTTGAA ACCAAAAGCC AAGGTAGTGG 2640 TGATCTTCCT TTTTCTGGGC TTGCTGGGGG TCAGCCTTTA TGGCACCACC CGAGTGAGAG 2700 ACGGGCTGGA CCTTACGGAC ATTGTACCTC GGGAAACCAG AGAATATGAC TTTATTGCTG 2760 CACAATTCAA ATACTTTTCT TTCTACAACA TGTATATAGT CACCCAGAAA GCAGACTACC 2820 CGAATATCCA GCACTTACTT TACGACCTAC ACAGGAGTTT CAGTAACGTG AAGTATGTCA 2880 TGTTGGAAGA AAACAAACAG CTTCCCAAAA TGTGGCTGCA CTACTTCAGA GACTGGCTTC 2940 AGGGACTTCA GGATGCATTT GACAGTGACT GGGAAACCGG GAAAATCATG CCAAACAATT 3000 ACAAGAATGG ATCAGACGAT GGAGTCCTTG CCTACAAACT CCTGGTGCAA ACCGGCAGCC 3060 GCGATAAGCC CATCGACATC AGCCAGTTGA CTAAACAGCG TCTGGTGGAT GCAGATGGCA 3120 TCATTAATCC CAGCGCTTTC TACATCTACC TGACGGCTTG GGTCAGCAAC GACCCCGTCG 3180 CGTATGCTGC CTCCCAGGCC AACATCCGGC CACACCGACC AGAATGGGTC CACGACAAAG 3240 CCGACTACAT GCCTGAAACA AGGCTGAGAA TCCCGGCAGC AGAGCCCATC GAGTATGCCC 3300 AGTTCCCTTT CTACCTCAAC GGGTTGCGGG ACACCTCAGA CTTTGTGGAG GCAATTGAAA 3360 AAGTAAGGAC CATCTGCAGC AACTATACGA GCCTGGGGCT GTCCAGTTAC CCCAACGGCT 3420 ACCCCTTCCT CTTCTGGGAG CAGTACATCG GCCTCCGCCA CTGGCTGCTG CTGTTCATCA 3480 GCGTGGTGTT GGCCTGCACA TTCCTCGTGT GCGCTGTCTT CCTTCTGAAC CCCTGGACGG 3540 CCGGGATCAT TGTGATGGTC CTGGCGCTGA TGACGGTCGA GCTGTTCGGC ATGATGGGCC 3600 TCATCGGAAT CAAGCTCAGT GCCGTGCCCG TGGTCATCCT GATCGCTTCT GTTGGCATAG 3660 GAGTGGAGTT CACCGTTCAC GTTGCTTTGG CCTTTCTGAC GGCCATCGGC GACAAGAACC 3720 GCAGGGCTGT GCTTGCCCTG GAGCACATGT TTGCACCCGT CCTGGATGGC GCCGTGTCCA 3780 CTCTGCTGGG AGTGCTGATG CTGGCGGGAT CTGAGTTCGA CTTCATTGTC AGGTATTTCT 3840 TTGCTGTGCT GGCGATCCTC ACCATCCTCG GCGTTCTCAA TGGGCTGGTT TTGCTTCCCG 3900 TGCTTTTGTC TTTCTTTGGA CCATATCCTG AGGTGTCTCC AGCCAACGGC TTGAACCGCC 3960 TGCCCACACC CTCCCCTGAG CCACCCCCCA GCGTGGTCCG CTTCGCCATG CCGCCCGGCC 4020 ACACGCACAG CGGGTCTGAT TCCTCCGACT CGGAGTATAG TTCCCAGACG ACAGTGTCAG 4080 GCCTCAGCGA GGAGCTTCGG CACTACGAGG CCCAGCAGGG CGCGGGAGGC CCTGCCCACC 4140 AAGTGATCGT GGAAGCCACA GAAAACCCCG TCTTCGCCCA CTCCACTGTG GTCCATCCCG 4200 AATCCAGGCA TCACCCACCC TCGAACCCGA GACAGCAGCC CCACCTGGAC TCAGGGTCCC 4260 TGCCTCCCGG ACGGCAAGGC CAGCAGCCCC GCAGGGACCC CCCCAGAGAA GGCTTGTGGC 4320 CACCCCTCTA CAGACCGCGC AGAGACGCTT TTGAAATTTC TACTGAAGGG CATTCTGGCC 4380 CTAGCAATAG GGCCCGCTGG GGCCCTCGCG GGGCCCGTTC TCACAACCCT CGGAACCCAG 4440 CGTCCACTGC CATGGGCAGC TCCGTGCCCG GCTACTGCCA GCCCATCACC ACTGTGACGG 4500 CTTCTGCCTC CGTGACTGTC GCCGTGCACC CGCCGCCTGT CCCTGGGCCT GGGCGGAACC 4560 CCCGAGGGGG ACTCTGCCCA GGCTACCCTG AGACTGACCA CGGCCTGTTT GAGGACCCCC 4620 ACGTGCCTTT CCACGTCCGG TGTGAGAGGA GGGATTCGAA GGTGGAAGTC ATTGAGCTGC 4680 AGGACGTGGA ATGCGAGGAG AGGCCCCGGG GAAGCAGCTC CAACTGAGGG TGATTAAAAT 4740 CTGAAGCAAA GAGGCCAAAG ATTGGAAACC CCCCACCCCC ACCTCTTTCC AGAACTGCTT 4800 GAAGAGAACT GGTTGGAGTT ATGGAAAAGA TGCCCTGTGC CAGGACAGCA GTTCATTGTT 4860 ACTGTAACCG ATTGTATTAT TTTGTTAAAT ATTTCTATAA ATATTTAAGA GATGTACACA 4920 TGTGTAATAT AGGAAGGAAG GATGTAAAGT GGTATGATCT GGGGCTTCTC CACTCCTGCC 4980 CCAGAGTGTG GAGGCCACAG TGGGGCCTCT CCGTATTTGT GCATTGGGCT CCGTGCCACA 5040 ACCAAGCTTC ATTAGTCTTA AATTTCAGCA TATGTTGCTG CTGCTTAAAT ATTGTATAAT 5100 TTACTTGTAT AATTCTATGC AAATATTGCT TATGTAATAG GATTATTTTG TAAAGGTTTC 5160 TGTTTAAAAT ATTTTAAATT TGCATATCAC AACCCTGTGG TAGTATGAAA TGTTACTGTT 5220 AACTTTCAAA CACGCTATGC GTGATAATTT TTTTGTTTAA TGAGCAGATA TGAAGAAAGC 5280 CCGGAATT 5288 1447 amino acids amino acid single linear protein 19 Met Ala Ser Ala Gly Asn Ala Ala Glu Pro Gln Asp Arg Gly Gly Gly 1 5 10 15 Gly Ser Gly Cys Ile Gly Ala Pro Gly Arg Pro Ala Gly Gly Gly Arg 20 25 30 Arg Arg Arg Thr Gly Gly Leu Arg Arg Ala Ala Ala Pro Asp Arg Asp 35 40 45 Tyr Leu His Arg Pro Ser Tyr Cys Asp Ala Ala Phe Ala Leu Glu Gln 50 55 60 Ile Ser Lys Gly Lys Ala Thr Gly Arg Lys Ala Pro Leu Trp Leu Arg 65 70 75 80 Ala Lys Phe Gln Arg Leu Leu Phe Lys Leu Gly Cys Tyr Ile Gln Lys 85 90 95 Asn Cys Gly Lys Phe Leu Val Val Gly Leu Leu Ile Phe Gly Ala Phe 100 105 110 Ala Val Gly Leu Lys Ala Ala Asn Leu Glu Thr Asn Val Glu Glu Leu 115 120 125 Trp Val Glu Val Gly Gly Arg Val Ser Arg Glu Leu Asn Tyr Thr Arg 130 135 140 Gln Lys Ile Gly Glu Glu Ala Met Phe Asn Pro Gln Leu Met Ile Gln 145 150 155 160 Thr Pro Lys Glu Glu Gly Ala Asn Val Leu Thr Thr Glu Ala Leu Leu 165 170 175 Gln His Leu Asp Ser Ala Leu Gln Ala Ser Arg Val His Val Tyr Met 180 185 190 Tyr Asn Arg Gln Trp Lys Leu Glu His Leu Cys Tyr Lys Ser Gly Glu 195 200 205 Leu Ile Thr Glu Thr Gly Tyr Met Asp Gln Ile Ile Glu Tyr Leu Tyr 210 215 220 Pro Cys Leu Ile Ile Thr Pro Leu Asp Cys Phe Trp Glu Gly Ala Lys 225 230 235 240 Leu Gln Ser Gly Thr Ala Tyr Leu Leu Gly Lys Pro Pro Leu Arg Trp 245 250 255 Thr Asn Phe Asp Pro Leu Glu Phe Leu Glu Glu Leu Lys Lys Ile Asn 260 265 270 Tyr Gln Val Asp Ser Trp Glu Glu Met Leu Asn Lys Ala Glu Val Gly 275 280 285 His Gly Tyr Met Asp Arg Pro Cys Leu Asn Pro Ala Asp Pro Asp Cys 290 295 300 Pro Ala Thr Ala Pro Asn Lys Asn Ser Thr Lys Pro Leu Asp Met Ala 305 310 315 320 Leu Val Leu Asn Gly Gly Cys His Gly Leu Ser Arg Lys Tyr Met His 325 330 335 Trp Gln Glu Glu Leu Ile Val Gly Gly Thr Val Lys Asn Ser Thr Gly 340 345 350 Lys Leu Val Ser Ala His Ala Leu Gln Thr Met Phe Gln Leu Met Thr 355 360 365 Pro Lys Gln Met Tyr Glu His Phe Lys Gly Tyr Glu Tyr Val Ser His 370 375 380 Ile Asn Trp Asn Glu Asp Lys Ala Ala Ala Ile Leu Glu Ala Trp Gln 385 390 395 400 Arg Thr Tyr Val Glu Val Val His Gln Ser Val Ala Gln Asn Ser Thr 405 410 415 Gln Lys Val Leu Ser Phe Thr Thr Thr Thr Leu Asp Asp Ile Leu Lys 420 425 430 Ser Phe Ser Asp Val Ser Val Ile Arg Val Ala Ser Gly Tyr Leu Leu 435 440 445 Met Leu Ala Tyr Ala Cys Leu Thr Met Leu Arg Trp Asp Cys Ser Lys 450 455 460 Ser Gln Gly Ala Val Gly Leu Ala Gly Val Leu Leu Val Ala Leu Ser 465 470 475 480 Val Ala Ala Gly Leu Gly Leu Cys Ser Leu Ile Gly Ile Ser Phe Asn 485 490 495 Ala Ala Thr Thr Gln Val Leu Pro Phe Leu Ala Leu Gly Val Gly Val 500 505 510 Asp Asp Val Phe Leu Leu Ala His Ala Phe Ser Glu Thr Gly Gln Asn 515 520 525 Lys Arg Ile Pro Phe Glu Asp Arg Thr Gly Glu Cys Leu Lys Arg Thr 530 535 540 Gly Ala Ser Val Ala Leu Thr Ser Ile Ser Asn Val Thr Ala Phe Phe 545 550 555 560 Met Ala Ala Leu Ile Pro Ile Pro Ala Leu Arg Ala Phe Ser Leu Gln 565 570 575 Ala Ala Val Val Val Val Phe Asn Phe Ala Met Val Leu Leu Ile Phe 580 585 590 Pro Ala Ile Leu Ser Met Asp Leu Tyr Arg Arg Glu Asp Arg Arg Leu 595 600 605 Asp Ile Phe Cys Cys Phe Thr Ser Pro Cys Val Ser Arg Val Ile Gln 610 615 620 Val Glu Pro Gln Ala Tyr Thr Asp Thr His Asp Asn Thr Arg Tyr Ser 625 630 635 640 Pro Pro Pro Pro Tyr Ser Ser His Ser Phe Ala His Glu Thr Gln Ile 645 650 655 Thr Met Gln Ser Thr Val Gln Leu Arg Thr Glu Tyr Asp Pro His Thr 660 665 670 His Val Tyr Tyr Thr Thr Ala Glu Pro Arg Ser Glu Ile Ser Val Gln 675 680 685 Pro Val Thr Val Thr Gln Asp Thr Leu Ser Cys Gln Ser Pro Glu Ser 690 695 700 Thr Ser Ser Thr Arg Asp Leu Leu Ser Gln Phe Ser Asp Ser Ser Leu 705 710 715 720 His Cys Leu Glu Pro Pro Cys Thr Lys Trp Thr Leu Ser Ser Phe Ala 725 730 735 Glu Lys His Tyr Ala Pro Phe Leu Leu Lys Pro Lys Ala Lys Val Val 740 745 750 Val Ile Phe Leu Phe Leu Gly Leu Leu Gly Val Ser Leu Tyr Gly Thr 755 760 765 Thr Arg Val Arg Asp Gly Leu Asp Leu Thr Asp Ile Val Pro Arg Glu 770 775 780 Thr Arg Glu Tyr Asp Phe Ile Ala Ala Gln Phe Lys Tyr Phe Ser Phe 785 790 795 800 Tyr Asn Met Tyr Ile Val Thr Gln Lys Ala Asp Tyr Pro Asn Ile Gln 805 810 815 His Leu Leu Tyr Asp Leu His Arg Ser Phe Ser Asn Val Lys Tyr Val 820 825 830 Met Leu Glu Glu Asn Lys Gln Leu Pro Lys Met Trp Leu His Tyr Phe 835 840 845 Arg Asp Trp Leu Gln Gly Leu Gln Asp Ala Phe Asp Ser Asp Trp Glu 850 855 860 Thr Gly Lys Ile Met Pro Asn Asn Tyr Lys Asn Gly Ser Asp Asp Gly 865 870 875 880 Val Leu Ala Tyr Lys Leu Leu Val Gln Thr Gly Ser Arg Asp Lys Pro 885 890 895 Ile Asp Ile Ser Gln Leu Thr Lys Gln Arg Leu Val Asp Ala Asp Gly 900 905 910 Ile Ile Asn Pro Ser Ala Phe Tyr Ile Tyr Leu Thr Ala Trp Val Ser 915 920 925 Asn Asp Pro Val Ala Tyr Ala Ala Ser Gln Ala Asn Ile Arg Pro His 930 935 940 Arg Pro Glu Trp Val His Asp Lys Ala Asp Tyr Met Pro Glu Thr Arg 945 950 955 960 Leu Arg Ile Pro Ala Ala Glu Pro Ile Glu Tyr Ala Gln Phe Pro Phe 965 970 975 Tyr Leu Asn Gly Leu Arg Asp Thr Ser Asp Phe Val Glu Ala Ile Glu 980 985 990 Lys Val Arg Thr Ile Cys Ser Asn Tyr Thr Ser Leu Gly Leu Ser Ser 995 1000 1005 Tyr Pro Asn Gly Tyr Pro Phe Leu Phe Trp Glu Gln Tyr Ile Gly Leu 1010 1015 1020 Arg His Trp Leu Leu Leu Phe Ile Ser Val Val Leu Ala Cys Thr Phe 1025 1030 1035 1040 Leu Val Cys Ala Val Phe Leu Leu Asn Pro Trp Thr Ala Gly Ile Ile 1045 1050 1055 Val Met Val Leu Ala Leu Met Thr Val Glu Leu Phe Gly Met Met Gly 1060 1065 1070 Leu Ile Gly Ile Lys Leu Ser Ala Val Pro Val Val Ile Leu Ile Ala 1075 1080 1085 Ser Val Gly Ile Gly Val Glu Phe Thr Val His Val Ala Leu Ala Phe 1090 1095 1100 Leu Thr Ala Ile Gly Asp Lys Asn Arg Arg Ala Val Leu Ala Leu Glu 1105 1110 1115 1120 His Met Phe Ala Pro Val Leu Asp Gly Ala Val Ser Thr Leu Leu Gly 1125 1130 1135 Val Leu Met Leu Ala Gly Ser Glu Phe Asp Phe Ile Val Arg Tyr Phe 1140 1145 1150 Phe Ala Val Leu Ala Ile Leu Thr Ile Leu Gly Val Leu Asn Gly Leu 1155 1160 1165 Val Leu Leu Pro Val Leu Leu Ser Phe Phe Gly Pro Tyr Pro Glu Val 1170 1175 1180 Ser Pro Ala Asn Gly Leu Asn Arg Leu Pro Thr Pro Ser Pro Glu Pro 1185 1190 1195 1200 Pro Pro Ser Val Val Arg Phe Ala Met Pro Pro Gly His Thr His Ser 1205 1210 1215 Gly Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Glu Tyr Ser Ser Gln Thr Thr Val Ser 1220 1225 1230 Gly Leu Ser Glu Glu Leu Arg His Tyr Glu Ala Gln Gln Gly Ala Gly 1235 1240 1245 Gly Pro Ala His Gln Val Ile Val Glu Ala Thr Glu Asn Pro Val Phe 1250 1255 1260 Ala His Ser Thr Val Val His Pro Glu Ser Arg His His Pro Pro Ser 1265 1270 1275 1280 Asn Pro Arg Gln Gln Pro His Leu Asp Ser Gly Ser Leu Pro Pro Gly 1285 1290 1295 Arg Gln Gly Gln Gln Pro Arg Arg Asp Pro Pro Arg Glu Gly Leu Trp 1300 1305 1310 Pro Pro Leu Tyr Arg Pro Arg Arg Asp Ala Phe Glu Ile Ser Thr Glu 1315 1320 1325 Gly His Ser Gly Pro Ser Asn Arg Ala Arg Trp Gly Pro Arg Gly Ala 1330 1335 1340 Arg Ser His Asn Pro Arg Asn Pro Ala Ser Thr Ala Met Gly Ser Ser 1345 1350 1355 1360 Val Pro Gly Tyr Cys Gln Pro Ile Thr Thr Val Thr Ala Ser Ala Ser 1365 1370 1375 Val Thr Val Ala Val His Pro Pro Pro Val Pro Gly Pro Gly Arg Asn 1380 1385 1390 Pro Arg Gly Gly Leu Cys Pro Gly Tyr Pro Glu Thr Asp His Gly Leu 1395 1400 1405 Phe Glu Asp Pro His Val Pro Phe His Val Arg Cys Glu Arg Arg Asp 1410 1415 1420 Ser Lys Val Glu Val Ile Glu Leu Gln Asp Val Glu Cys Glu Glu Arg 1425 1430 1435 1440 Pro Arg Gly Ser Ser Ser Asn 1445 

What is claimed is:
 1. An assay for phenotyping the patched status of a cell, comprising detecting, in a sample of mammalian cells, the presence or absence of a genetic lesion characterized by at least one of (i) aberrant modification or mutation of a patched gene, and (ii) mis-expression of said patched gene.
 2. The assay of claim 1, wherein detecting said lesion includes: i. providing a diagonistic probe comprising a nucleic acid including a region of nucleotide sequence which hybridizes to a sense or antisense sequence of said patched gene, or naturally occuring mutants thereof, or 5′ or 3′ flanking sequences naturally associated with said gene; ii. combining said probe with nucleic acid from said cell sample; and iii. detecting, by hybridization of said probe to said cellular nucleic acid, the existence of at least one of a deletion of one or more nucleotides from said patched gene, an addition of one or more nucleotides to said patched gene, a substitution of one or more nucleotides of said patched gene, a gross chromosomal rearrangement of all or a portion of said patched gene, a gross alteration in the level of an mRNA transcript of said patched gene, or a non-wild type splicing pattern of an mRNA transcript of said patched gene.
 3. The assay of claim 2, wherein hybridization of said probe further comprises subjecting the probe and cellular nucleic acid to a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and detecting abnormalities in an amplified product.
 4. The assay of claim 2, wherein said probe hybridizes under stringent conditions to a nucleic acid designated by SEQ ID No. 9 or
 18. 5. The assay of claim 2, wherein said probe hybridizes under stringent conditions to a nucleic acid designated by SEQ ID No.
 18. 6. The assay of claim 2, wherein said probe further comprises a label group attached to said nucleic acid and able to be detected.
 7. The assay of claim 1, wherein detecting said lesion comprises ascertaining, from a methylation pattern of said patched gene, the presence or absence of aberrant methylation of said patched gene.
 8. The assay of claim 7, wherein the methylation pattern of said patched gene is determined by combining nucleic acid of said cell sample with one or more methylation-sensitive restriction endonucleases and determining the restriction digest pattern of at least a portion of said patched gene.
 9. The assay of claim 1, wherein detecting said lesion comprises detecting the presence or absence of a non-wild type level of a patched protein product of said patched gene in cells of said cell sample.
 10. The assay of claim 9, wherein the level of said patched protein is detected in an immunoassay.
 11. The assay claim 1, wherein detecting said lesion comprises ascertaining, relative to a wild-type level of hedgehog-dependent patched signal transduction, the ability of cells in said cell sample to respond to hedgehog induction.
 12. The assay of claim 1, wherein said cell sample is obtained from a human patient.
 13. A method for diagnosing a genetic predisposition of an animal for at least one of a developmental abnormality or a proliferative disorder marked by abberant expression or activity of a patched gene or gene product, the method comprising detecting the presence of a predisposing mutation in a patched gene in cells of said animal, wherein the presence of said predisposing mutation indicates that said individual has a genetic predisposition for at least one of developmental abnormalities or a proliferative disorder.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein said genetic predisposition is basal cell nevus syndrome.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein said genetic predisposition is a predisposition for developing a carcinoma
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein said genetic predisposition is a predisposition for developing a meningiomas.
 17. The method of claim 13, wherein said genetic predisposition is a predisposition for developing a medullomas
 18. The method of claim 13, wherein said genetic predisposition is a predisposition for developing a fibroma.
 19. The method of claim 13, wherein said detecting step comprises analyzing a nucleic acid sample obtained from said animal.
 20. The method of claim 13, wherein said detecting step comprises functional analysis of patched protein function.
 21. The method of claim 13, wherein said detecting step comprises detecting antibody binding to abnormal patched protein.
 22. A method for characterizing the phenotype of a tumor, comprising detecting the presence of an oncogenic patched mutation in cells of the tumor, wherein the presence of said oncogenic mutation indicates that said tumor has a patched-associated phenotype.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein said tumor is a carcinoma.
 21. The method of claim 20, wherein said carcinoma is a basal cell carcinoma.
 22. The method of claim 19, wherein said tumor is a meningioma.
 23. The method of claim 19, wherein said tumor is a medulloma
 24. The method of claim 19, wherein said tumor is a fibroma.
 25. The method of claim 19, wherein said oncogenic patched mutation are detected by analyzing DNA of said tumor.
 26. The method of claim 19, wherein said oncogenic patched mutation are detected by mRNA of said tumor.
 27. The method of claim 19, wherein said detecting step comprises functional analysis of patched protein function.
 28. The method of claim 19, wherein said detecting step comprises detecting antibody binding to abnormal patched protein.
 29. A genetically engineered mammalian cell predisposed to develop a proliferative phenotype as a result of transfection of said mammalian cell with at least one nucleic acid construct which inhibits expression of an endogenous patched gene or alters the signal transduction activity of a wild-type patched protein.
 30. The cell of claim 26, wherein the cell develops a carcinoma phenotype.
 31. The cell of claim 30, wherein the cell develops a basal cell carcinoma phenotype.
 32. The cell of claim 26, wherein the cell develops a meningioma phenotype.
 33. The cell of claim 26, wherein the cell develops a medulloma phenotype.
 34. The cell of claim 26, wherein the cell develops a fibroma phenotype.
 35. A method for treating an animal having a disorder characterized by loss-of-function of a wild-type patched gene, comprising transfecting cells of the animal with an expression construct encoding a patched polypeptide which functionally replaces the wild-type patched gene.
 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the cells are transfected in vivo.
 37. The method of claim 35, wherein the cells are transfected in vitro.
 38. The method of claim 35, wherein the expression construct is a viral vector.
 39. The method of claim 35, wherein the transfected cells include epithelial cells.
 40. The method of claim 35, wherein the transfected cells include neuronal cells.
 41. The method of claim 35, wherein the transfected cells include carcinoma cells.
 42. The method of claim 41, wherein the carcinoma cells are basal cell carcinoma cells.
 43. The method of claim 35, wherein the transfected cells include meningioma cells.
 43. The method of claim 35, wherein the transfected cells include medulloma cells.
 44. The method of claim 35, wherein the transfected cells include fibroma cells.
 45. A method for treating an animal having a disorder characterized by loss-of-function of a patched gene, comprising administering to the animal an agent which inhibits derepression of one or more patched-dependent genes. 